Chembur high rise fire victims were identified by their jewelries

Tarala Gangar and Lakshmiben Gangar

While it some people had a lucky escape from the fire that broke out at Sargam Society, five did not. The charred bodies of two of the victims, Lakshmiben Premji Gangar, 83, and her daughter-in-law Tarala Suresh Gangar, 52, were identified with the help of the jewellery they were wearing. Police said Lakshmiben was bed-ridden due to a fracture and couldn't escape the fire. Gangar's other daughter-in-law, Ruchi, had just stepped out to buy vegetables and escaped.

Some of the relatives of the Joshi family, three of whose members died, also managed to escape. Sandeep Joshi, a relative of Sunita Joshi, 72, Bhalchandra Joshi, 72, and Suman Shrinivas Joshi, who perished in the fire, said when the fire broke out, he tried to save them, but could not. "I then took my wife and daughter to the 15th floor. I didn't know what to do as we were very scared. When I called the fire brigade, they told me to move to the terrace. I took my son and we ran to the terrace."

Amit Hiremath, a resident of the 14th floor who was also trapped in the fire, said he had a lucky escape with his wife and child. "I have been residing here for the past four years, and was home with my five-year-old child and wife. When I saw smoke, I found it was difficult to breathe and opened the door to see the Joshi family coming out of the house. I shouted to them asking them not to go down as the smoke was travelling upwards, and rushed in again. I then covered our heads with wet towels. Our next door neighbours had a hammer and we broke open the terrace door's lock, and went there. We came down from the A wing's terrace.

Inputs by Chetna Yerunkar

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