Mumbai fire: Chaos blocks woman's exit, daughter makes it
, TNN|
Dec 30, 2017, 10.37 AM IST
MUMBAI: Holding her daughter Ruchi's hand, Preeti Rajgarhia (49) tried to escape from the resto-bar 1Above as it was consumed by fire on Thursday.
But somewhere in the chaos, they got separated and Preeti was pushed towards a crowd stranded amid the fire. While Ruchi managed to escape, her mother could not. She died of suffocation.
Preeti's relatives alleged firemen delayed the rescue of those stranded near the washroom of the restobar, an allegation the fire department denied. "Those stranded near the washroom had sent messages to relatives and friends frantically from their mobile phones... The relatives wanted the firemen to go in and rescue those trapped, but... the fire brigade was more involved in dousing the flames than rescuing those trapped."
Preeti is survived by her husband Rajesh, a businessman, and two daughters. Her funeral was held on Friday afternoon. A relative who attended the funeral said, "It is a shameful and an unpardonable incident for the BMC."
The family has organised a prayer meeting for Preeti at Lala Lajpathrai Marg on Sunday evening.
But somewhere in the chaos, they got separated and Preeti was pushed towards a crowd stranded amid the fire. While Ruchi managed to escape, her mother could not. She died of suffocation.
Preeti's relatives alleged firemen delayed the rescue of those stranded near the washroom of the restobar, an allegation the fire department denied. "Those stranded near the washroom had sent messages to relatives and friends frantically from their mobile phones... The relatives wanted the firemen to go in and rescue those trapped, but... the fire brigade was more involved in dousing the flames than rescuing those trapped."
Preeti is survived by her husband Rajesh, a businessman, and two daughters. Her funeral was held on Friday afternoon. A relative who attended the funeral said, "It is a shameful and an unpardonable incident for the BMC."
The family has organised a prayer meeting for Preeti at Lala Lajpathrai Marg on Sunday evening.
(This article was originally published in The Times of India)
