18 January,2017 09:15 AM IST | | Anurag Kamble
Tragedy strikes a Mumbai family as two of their boys drown while trying to save their brother, who had fallen into a water-filled Chandivli quarry, in what many locals claim was a suicide attempt
Mumbai Tragedy! Two brothers dive in to save third, only one returns alive
Fire brigade officials retrieved the two bodies after a three-hour-long search. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
Two boys drowned while trying to save their brother, who had fallen into a quarry filled with water, in Chandivli late on Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 9.30 pm when 22-year-old Saddam Abdul Sheikh accidentally fell into the quarry while attending nature's call. A few residents, however, claimed that Saddam had jumped into the pit to commit suicide.
Immediately after Saddam fell, residents heard him cry for help. His older brother, Javed, who was in the vicinity, rushed to save him. However, after failing to find a rope, he jumped inside. Saddam held on to Javed's leg, but the two were unable to help each other. Meanwhile, their eldest brother, Aslam, also jumped to save the duo. While he managed to save Javed, he couldn't rescue Saddam or himself.
Relatives and neighbours of the Sheikh family seen waiting near the Chandivli quarry during the rescue operation
Residents who had gathered around the quarry, tried to look for the missing boys, but couldn't locate them. "The police and fire brigade was informed about the incident and they reached the spot within a few minutes," a resident said.
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Fire brigade unprepared
"Initially, the fire brigade officials were reluctant to go into the water. They hadn't even brought a life jacket or boat to undertake the rescue operation," said one resident, adding that rescue efforts only started an hour after the incident. Fire brigade officials managed to retrieve Saddam and Aslam's body three hours later.
Amol Matele, leader of the NCP youth wing and a local resident, said that a lot of people from the nearby shanties go to answer nature's call at the quarry. "We had raised the issue of open defecation with the BMC earlier," Matele alleged.
A suicide attempt?
Meanwhile, a section of residents have claimed that the incident wasn't an accident. The Sheikh family has seven sons. One of them committed suicide in the same quarry last year.
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"Saddam was mentally unstable and was receiving treatment for his illness. The family had been keeping a close watch on him," a resident said, adding, "On Tuesday night, he ran out of home and jumped into the water." Meanwhile, the Powai police have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating the matter.
Bodies of the brothers were fished out by the fire brigade.
