Kamal Ghorui
An Indian-origin man is in a critical condition after suffering severe burns while rescuing his sister from a fire that tore through a restaurant in Australia’s Adelaide Hills.47-year-old Baljeet Singh is being treated in the burns unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital after sustaining burns to around 70 per cent of his body in the blaze at the Mustard Seed restaurant in Hahndorf on Tuesday night.Family members said Singh acted without hesitation when the fire broke out suddenly inside the premises, reports Australia Today.His brother-in-law, Inderjeet Singh, told 7News that Baljeet pushed his sister, Satbir, out of the way as flames spread through the building.Inderjeet said: “My brother-in-law… he got a lot of fire on him and saved my wife. He’s a brave man.”According to the family, the pair had gone inside the restaurant after hearing an unusual noise when a sudden burst of flames erupted.Inderjeet added: “All of a sudden a big, big fire lit up… he pushed my wife away and he was pretty much burned, and my wife got burned as well.”Baljeet Singh has undergone emergency surgery as doctors continue efforts to stabilise his condition. His relatives described his injuries as extremely serious and said they are holding onto hope for his recovery.“His skin is all burned… he’s got 70 per cent burns all over his body. He’s a tough man and we are praying for him,” the family said.The family deals with the trauma and at the same time they are also pushing back against online rumours suggesting they were involved in causing the fire.“With the rumours and speculation, I just feel so sad,” Inderjeet said.He added: “This is really devastating because right now we are going through a lot of pain and mental pressure.”The owners of the Mustard Seed restaurant said the establishment was more than a business, describing it as a second home built on memories and regular customers.Police in South Australia are still investigating the cause of the blaze. The family has also raised concerns that the fire may have been suspicious and has urged anyone with information or CCTV footage to assist investigators.
