SHREWSBURY, Mo. — "I was outside the building at the time. At that time I was talking to a friend, " said Bishal Magar.
Bishal Magar then immediately turned around and could not believe what he saw in the blink of an eye. His second floor apartment and the units of several of his neighbors' on Murdoch Avenue in Shrewsbury were all on fire.
"I just got inside to see what happened. There was smoke everywhere," said Magar.
And flames, too.
Magar told investigators shortly after 11 p.m. Monday a fire engulfed his apartment where he lived with two roommates. The three friends are students at Webster and Maryville universities.
"And, I was so scared. I didn't know what to do," said Magar.
He wasn't the only one standing in fear as the flames kept spreading.
"The mother was screaming because she was in fear. You know that the fire was coming through the wall," added Magar.
A frantic couple and their 5-year-old daughter were trapped in their burning third floor apartment.
"She was in her father's arms and he was sitting over the window getting ready to jump with her and everyone was yelling, 'No, no don't jump!'" described Sharon Jackson, who also lives in the building.
Fortunately, firefighters arrived and immediately extended a ladder to the family's window and rescued the couple and their child just in time.
Several fire victims lost furniture, clothes and other belongings.
"We have nothing right now," said Magar.
However, they still have each other and that's all that really matters.
"I'm really thankful that like nothing happened to us," Magar added.
"My apartment sustained lots of smoke damage and yes it will be tough starting over, but I'm so very grateful to God for sparing lives," said Jackson.
Investigators said the cause of the fire was cooking-related.
The American Red Cross is assisting 23 people, including 14 families, with financial assistance.