Juhu Building Fire: Families told to wait until employer identifies victims

Rahmatulla and Sharifa

Labourers' bodies recovered from the blazing building were so badly charred that the police and hospital refuse to hand them over to the families until the contractor identifies them. With some victims still unaccounted for, relatives have assumed the worst. It was an emotionally draining day for Hasina as she waited at Cooper Hospital for news about her sister, Sharifa Khan, whose name is in the list of those admitted. Sharifa's husband Rahmatulla and daughter Tasleema are missing.

"Sharifa told me she and her husband had decided to go back to Calcutta as it was too tough to survive in Mumbai. I wish they had made this decision earlier," said Hasina, who is from Valsad.

"My friend Anjali Yadav lost her husband and 4-year-old daughter Shagun. Her husband also worked at the site." But the families still have to wait before they can have some confirmation. "Authorities said they would hand over the bodies after the employer arrives" said Hasina.

Among those injured are husband-wife duo, William and Amerncia Toppo. "I was able to identify them by their clothes," said Wiliam's sister Silmanti Toppo.

"Around 8 pm, I spoke to them on the phone. The next morning, I could not reach them. Our family is completely shattered by incident," she said.