The May 9 Kalbadevi fire killed fire officers SW Rane and Mahendra Desai the same day, after they were trapped beneath debris of the collapsed building for hours.
Thirty long days after a massive inferno brought down Kalbadevi's Gokul Niwas building, wiping off the top brass of the Mumbai fire brigade, the families of the four fire brigade officers are struggling to cope with the loss.
The May 9 Kalbadevi fire killed fire officers SW Rane and Mahendra Desai the same day, after they were trapped beneath debris of the collapsed building for hours. Deputy chief fire officer Sudhir Amin, who had suffered 90% burns, succumbed to his injuries a week later, while fire brigade chief Sunil Nesarikar, who had suffered 50% burn injuries, passed away a fortnight after the incident.
Mahendra's wife Mansi said she misses her husband the most when the family comes together for dinner after a long day. "He gave his life to the fire brigade. Throughout the day, he would be busy attending calls. The only time he could give us was during dinner, which we had together, and a few small vacations," she told dna.
Their daughter Shivani, who is in her first year of MBBS, was brave enough to gather herself and go back to college for her first year exams. "It was difficult for her, given the extensive preparation required for the exams," added Mansi, who recently started working with the BMC. Their son is in Std X.
Families of the other firemen too have failed to come to terms with last month's tragedy. Sunil's wife Jayshri was in a state of shock days after May 24, when the chief fire officer succumbed to his injuries despite surgery. Family members, however, said she is trying hard to recuperate.
His brother-in-law Shukleshwar Chavan said it was a bigger shock for the family because they were expecting him to get well soon. "He wanted to live. He had tremendous will power which made us believe that he will recover in a few days. Even the doctors had said he would be able to start working in a few days, but fate had other plans," said Chavan.
He added that Jayshri is stable now. "She had gone to her village near Kolhapur and will be back in a few days."
A frail Jayshri had recently visited municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta to allow her to keep her current home at the Andheri fire station for the next three years, her relatives said Mehta is positive on the issue.
The BMC has lived up to its promise of giving timely compensation to the four families, but what they also need at the moment is social security. A home for each family and financial help for their children's education is what the families are seeking.
Deputy fire brigade chief Sudhir Amin's cousin Kumar Bangera said all the fire officers who died in the line of duty should be given the martyr status. A proposal in this regard is awaiting approval from the state government.
While it's a long, tough road ahead for the deceased firemen's families, residents affected in the fire are trying to move on.
The Pol family, who resided in the ill-fated building, lost all their belongings in the mishap. The family has shifted to a transit camp in Dadar till an alternative accommodation is provided. Mangesh Pol told dna, "We couldn't take a single thing with us. Waiting for even two more minutes would have put our lives in danger as there were several blasts taking place."
He added that his family has accepted what happened. "Jewellery worth lakhs was destroyed, but thankfully my sister Priyanka got married on May 30 without any hurdle. She is happy in her new home now."
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