A crowd of nearly 200 people, mostly fire brigade staff and officials' relatives, thronged the fire station to pay their respects to the officials.
The Mumbai fire brigade on Sunday bid a final adieu to fire officials Sandesh Rane and Mahendra Desai with a guard of honour at the Byculla fire station. Rane, 47, and Desai, 46, lost their lives while fighting a massive inferno that brought down the four-storeyed Gokul Niwas at Kalbadevi, on Saturday. The officers were trapped in the debris of the building for nearly two and a half hours before being pulled out dead.
A crowd of nearly 200 people, mostly fire brigade staff and officials' relatives, thronged the fire station to pay their respects to the officials. Women fire officials held back the inconsolable families of the officials. The bodies were taken to Chandanwadi crematorium for last rites.
Desai's wife, Mansi, could barely speak. "His body was completely charred. I couldn't have recognised him, but for a chain and a ring he was wearing," she said.
Desai's daughter, Shivani, 18, is a first-year medical student at Mimer Medical College, Talegaon, while his son, Chinmay, 15, has just finished his SSC exams.
"Last evening, when I switched on the TV, I saw the news. When I called my husband, he told me he was going on a major operation. After that the channels kept airing news of chief fire officer Nesarikar and Amin. There was no news about my husband. His phone was also unreachable. Late night I came to know that he has left us," Mansi said, sobbing uncontrollably.
Mansi is stressed also because she doesn't have a permanent home. The family has been staying at the fire staff quarters at the Byculla fire station for the past few years.
"My husband kept on telling me that we would buy a home after his retirement after we get the dues from his department. If they ask me to vacate my apartment, I don't have any other accommodation. My daughter's annual college fees is Rs4.29 lakh. How will I afford that? I can't let my children's education suffer at this stage," the BSc graduate mumbled helplessly.
Rane is survived by his wife Medha, daughter Gauri and son Raj. Desai too, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Raj is studying engineering, while Gauri is in her first year of BHMS.
The family clung to Rane's body, which was being taken away for the last rites. Gauri saluted her father twice before he was taken away.
One of Rane's relatives said that Rane's father Waman had also served in the Mumbai fire brigade, while his brother Sunil Rane is working as a fireman at present.
A fire official present at the spot said both the deceased officials were helpful people. "They have helped me whenever I have been in need. They were genuinely nice human beings. We will miss them," the official said with tears in his eyes.
Sources from mayor Snehal Ambekar's office said the victims' families are likely to get compensation worth Rs10 lakh to Rs18 lakh, depending on the number of years of their service with the BMC, and that the compensation would be cleared in a week. "As a preferential treatment case, a family member would also be given a job in about a month," the source said.
Asked about their accommodation, a senior civic official said the families can keep their current accommodation for three months. "Once they get a job with the BMC, they can also get accommodation," a senior civic official said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}