* YOU BEEN SNAP* YAWALETEENI PICHA NA HABARI ZA YULE DADA ALONUSURIKA KIFO .HUKO CROYDON BAADA YA NYUMBA YAKE KUWAKA MOTO .ULOSABABISHWA NA WALE RIOTS"

• Monika Konczyk, 32, is 'absolutely traumatised' by her experience on Monday night
• She came from Poland to join her sister in March

*MKILETEWA HAPA NA FLORA LYIMO DESIGNER*


She came to the UK just a few months ago, hoping for a better life.
But when marauding yobs set her street on fire, Monika Konczyk had to fight for her very survival.
The image of her jumping from her first floor flat as flames tore through the building became an iconic image of the riots.

Revealed: The woman who was famously pictured jumping from a burning building in Croydon was Monika Konczyk, 32;

Terrified, fearing she was going to die, the 32-year-old from Poland was paralysed until her sister Beata screamed at her to jump the 16 feet to the street below.

Caught in the arms of riot police lined up under her window, she escaped unharmed.

Despite her miraculous escape, her family said she has become withdrawn and depressed.

Her sister (Mrs) Beata Mecaj 37, said last night: ‘She is incredibly traumatised as she feels she narrowly escaped death.

‘She is staying with me at the moment and I’m looking after her.

‘It will take a while for her to get over this.

‘She only came to the UK a few months ago and we are appalled that something like this could happen here.

‘We always thought this country was so civilised.’

Ready to launch: Ms Konczyk had to throw herself from her burning flat;

Miss Konczyk had come to the UK in March to learn English and to join her older sister, who has lived in the UK for five years.
She had recently started a relationship with Amar Sharabi, a business graduate from India, and had rented a flat in the conservation area of central Croydon;

But on Monday night she unwittingly became caught up in some of the fiercest riots to spread through London.

Miss Konczyk’s friend Aleksandra Robak said Beata had seen the all the violence on the television and had phoned her younger sister to tell her not to go out.

So she had got changed into her pyjamas and got ready for bed.

But at 9pm hooded youngsters broke into Reeves furniture store and set it alight.
It quickly turned into an inferno, threatening nearby residents with potential death from the flames and smoke inhalation.

Miss Konczyk ran to the window and started shouting for help, just as her sister arrived.

Safety: She was caught by police below, and is unharmed but very shaken;

Miss Robak said: ‘Her sister called her to say don’t go outside as she had seen the riots on the television.

‘Then later she realised it was dangerous and told Monika to get out.

‘Beata and her husband then went to the flat to get her, but could not get into the flat as the furniture shop was on fire.

‘Monika didn’t want to jump, she thought she was going to die,’ she said.

‘She was terrified and screaming at her sister that all of her things were in her flat and she didn’t want to leave them.

‘She was also very scared of jumping but Beata told her it’s better to jump than to die.

‘She is going to the doctors because we think she is suffering from depression.

‘Poor Monika has been very quiet since Monday and is not herself – she is still very shaken and upset.’

Miss Konczyk, who is from the Polish town of Koronowo, has not returned to her job at Poundland in the Whitgift centre, where she works with her sister.

Her boyfriend Mr Sharabi said: ‘Monika is absolutely traumatised and very stressed. She doesn’t want to even leave the house.’