Andheri fire: 'Everything burnt to ashes before my eyes, I couldn't save my sister'

Tahir Khan (32) will never forget the pain of watching the building burn down before his eyes as he stood helplessly, unable to help his sister Sofiya or her three kids stuck inside.

Sofiya had just given birth to her youngest son Altamash a month and a half ago. (Right) Tahir Khan stood helpless as the building burned down, with his sister and her kids stuck inside

The fire broke out around 6 am and, as luck would have it, he was just a few buildings away.

"After sehri at 4 am, I was in my garment shop nearby. Suddenly, at around 6 am, I heard shouting. When I rushed to the building, I saw the flames. Everything was burning to ashes in front of my eyes and I could do nothing for my family."

Stuck in the blazing building was his 28-year-old sister, Sofiya, and her three children, including a 45-day-old son, Altamash.

Sofiya sustained 45 per cent burns in the mishap and was taken to Kasturba Hospital around 10 am. But she succumbed to the burns within the hour and her body was sent to Cooper hospital for the post-mortem. The doctor who provided her initial treatment said, "She had burns in her upper body that led to her condition deteriorating further. She could have survived if the burns were in the lower body. She was brought to the hospital at around 10 am, but gradually, her heart stopped."

According to Tahir, it might have been a short circuit that caused the massive fire, which was further fuelled by the chemicals in the pharmacy downstairs.

"The fire must have been aggravated by the chemicals in the building. My sister and all her kids died in the accident. She had recently given birth to a boy; he also died after sustaining 100 per cent burns," Tahir added.