Mumbai: Kin of victims recount Tilak Nagar fire accident

Senior Police Inspector of Vikhroli Sanjay Joshi, who had gone for personal work in Mulund, received a call about the fire which occurred in a flat below his own house. Joshi came back immediately to rescue his parents. His father Shriniwas Joshi, who had suffered minor injuries due to smoke suffocation, was rescued successfully and admitted to Rajawadi Hospital.

Joshi along with one of his colleague climbed 12th floors of his building to rescue his mother and father. While his father was rescued, he was unable to save his mother Sunita Joshi who used a walker to walk. He said, "The electricity was cut off due to which my mother was unable to find a way out of the flat. A 'diya' in the temple of my house was light up. That was the only ray of light through which she was able to see the way to walk. For half an hour we tried to rescue my family and other residents."

Besides Joshi's mother Sunita Joshi (86), another Joshi family's member Suman Joshi (72) and Bhalchandra Joshi (72) died due to suffocation. Another two women Laxmiben Gangar (83) and her daughter-in-law Tarala Gangar (52) who stay on the 11th floor, opposite to the flat where the fire started were found dead due to burn. Due to the fire, a gas cylinder blasted in Gangar's house.

According to the residents, Laxmiben had knee surgery since then she has been on a wheelchair since past three years. Sandeep Joshi who stays on the 14th floor had rescued his parents from the fire. He saw his father was alive and taken in an ambulance. But his father Bhalchandra Joshi died on the way to the hospital. He himself took his mother Suman Joshi to the hospital in an auto rickshaw but she died due to suffocation.