A NEIGHBOUR has told how he desperately tried to rouse an elderly man whose flat caught ablaze.

Eugenuisz Pakit, 77, died after fire engulfed his maisonette flat in Ashton just after 10am this morning (Wednesday).

Neighbour Matthew Dickson, 64, was leaving his flat to go shopping when thick smoke began filling the stairwell. He realised it was coming from Mr Pakit’s flat and ran to bang on his door.

Mr Dickson said: “I could see the smoke through the frosted glass panel on his front door. I banged on the door but the heat forced me back. I decided to get all the other tenants out and ring the fire brigade.”

Fire crews arrived at Burlington House, Burlington Street within five minutes.

Watch commander John Sweeney said: “We used a battering ram to break through the door and within 30 seconds found the casualty on the floor between the hallway and front room. He was unconscious so we carried him outside and administered oxygen and a defibrillator until the paramedics arrived.

“Meanwhile the rest of the crew went in to douse the blaze. It had been burning for an hour so was dying down after starving itself of oxygen.”

An ambulance crew took over the fight to resuscitate Mr Pakit. but he died a short time later.

Mr Dickson added: “They carried him inside the ambulance, but it didn’t move. It stayed for about ten minutes and eventually set off to hospital. But the sirens weren’t on so I don’t think they could save him sadly.”

Another tenant Avril Pickup, 62, said: “Eugene was a Polish chap but I didn’t speak to him much. He’s been here about eight years. He lived alone and I think he had a son, but his family rarely visited if ever.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway, although early indications show a discarded cigarette is the likely culprit.