The Gazelle driver saved people during a fire in the Solnechny shopping center in Sterlitamak

There could have been more casualties during the fire in the Solnechny shopping center in Sterlitamak, which broke out the day before, if not for the act of a brave Russian. According to KP-Ufa, due to the rapid spread of smoke, several people were cut off from the exit on the third floor, but 22-year-old Daniil Isaev came to their aid in time.

The driver of a Gazelle from a local bakery, who came to unload goods at a nearby store, was in the right place at the right time.

“Of course, something immediately jumped in my chest. People are asking for help, we need to act. I drove the car right under the windows, there were already men running with a stepladder, but it was too short. We climbed onto the roof of the Gazelle, put up a ladder and helped two girls climb out of the window,” the man said.

One of the rescued people inhaled carbon monoxide and was handed over to doctors, the second was helped to drive away the car. Having made sure that there was no one else on the floor, Isaev went about his business.

According to him, on the morning before his flight his car broke down, which is why he left an hour and a half late. “I believe that this was some kind of sign from above, like God’s providence. After all, if I had arrived earlier, I would not have been able to save anyone,” he admitted.

Daniil’s wife Alina learned about what happened from the news: first she saw reports of a fire, and then a photograph of her husband’s car with a caption about saving people.

“Now I feel real pride in my husband. He is the kind of person who will always be one of the first to help,” she said.

As it turned out, Daniil had come to the aid of those in need of help before: in 2021, he provided first aid to his wife’s colleague, whose fingers were pulled into a dough mixing machine.