Mumbai: Cancer survivor supercop saves those stuck in Jogeshwari building fire

Sandeep Daware, police naik, Oshiwara police; (right) residents of Khan Estate Society outside the building during the fire

A Police naik not only rescued the residents of Khan Estate Society in Jogeshwari West who were trapped in their flats after a fire broke out on the 17th floor, but also ensured that the roads near the society were cleared of vehicles so that fire brigade vehicles got easy access.

Police Naik Sandeep Daware attached with the Oshiwara police station and a cancer survivor who has undergone two surgeries and 50+ chemotherapy sessions in the past four years, got information about the fire at the 21-storey building on SV Road. At the time of the incident, he was driving a police vehicle with Inspector Raghunath Kadam, around 7.10 pm, on Tuesday.

They reached the spot in two minutes and Daware climbed the stairs to the 17th floor without any safety equipment to rescue those trapped.

He told mid-day, "After reaching the spot, I told PI Kadam that I was going to rescue the people from the 17th to 21st floors. I told the society chairman, who was on the ground floor, to clear out the vehicles parked in the vicinity and disconnect the power supply to the building. I went to the 17th floor, took water from the residents there and with their help brought the fire under control. Then I went to the upper floors and brought all the residents to the ground floor with the help of mobile flashlights."

"PI Kadam had informed the fire brigade and also sought police back-up, but as they would have taken around 15 minutes to reach, I decided to rescue as many people as I could," the police naik explained. The Fire Brigade reached the spot around 7.30 pm and checked the spot of the fire. When mid-day asked Daware if he faced difficulty while climbing the stairs given his health condition, he said, "It was very difficult for the people who were trapped. When I went to the 17th floor I was not thinking about cancer. Luckily, there were no casualties and the fire was also extinguished easily."

Daware, who has completed 25 years of service in the police department, added, "Four years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer after prolonged pain in my neck. Since then, doctors have performed two operations and removed the cancer cells from my neck. I also underwent over 50 chemotherapy sessions. I am lucky that I survived and can help save people's lives."

Feb 08
Day the fire broke out at Khan Estate Society