The families of the seven men who were killed in the building collapse at Gurgaon’s Ullahwas village Thursday are still numb. The victims, relatives say, were the main breadwinners and leave behind not only an emotional void but a financial one as well.
Aftav (20), electrician: It was around 3.30 pm Thursday that Aftav’s brother-in-law, Himayu, received a call from his phone, which police found in the debris. “They were not sure who the phone belonged to. It is only when they called the last number he had dialed, which was mine, that they confirmed his identity,” he said.
Aftav has two sisters. His father died 10 years ago and his mother raised him by working odd jobs in their village in Bihar’s Samastipur. “He had just started supporting her. We have not had the courage to tell her he is dead.”
Anand (22), electrician: When Aftav came to Gurgaon two months ago, he was accompanied by Anand, another resident of Samastipur. The two shared a room in the building, say relatives. “Anand has two younger siblings in school. His father works as a foreman in the village. His parents were looking to get him married soon,” said Anand’s cousin Amit Kumar.
Pradeep Sharma (23), electrician: A resident of Gorakhpur, he had been living in Gurgaon for a year and shared the room with Anand and Aftav. The younger of three brothers, he had been the family’s “biggest hope”. “His brothers and father are farmers,” said Vivekanand Rai, a friend.
Mohit (19), guard: Relatives describe his family as “poverty stricken”. With a 12-year-old brother and an older sister to support, apart from his mother, Mohit and his father Jogendra had been working as security guards in Gurgaon. “They are a very poor family. Mohit and his father had been hoping to save enough money to get his sister married… We haven’t broken the news of his death to his mother, she thinks he is in hospital,” said Suman, his cousin.
Kuldeep (32), mason: The father of three girls, Kuldeep, who had been in Gurgaon for the last 15 years, moved to the collapsed building a month ago. “His wife stays with his daughters in their native village in UP. We do not know how she will bring up the girls now. Compensation is fine but Rs 3 lakh can only get you so far,” said Vinod Bharti, a neighbour.
Anurag (18), mason: With three younger siblings, including a disabled brother, Anurag had hoped to be a financial support to his father, a farmer. “He had just started earning for his family six or seven months ago,” said Chandraprakash, his cousin.
Vishal (17), mason: Having come to Gurgaon around seven months ago, Vishal recently become the main breadwinner for his family of six, including three siblings. “His father is a farmer in the village. Vishal’s income was the main support for them,” said Lal Chand, his uncle.
