Vile Parle West Fire Kills 23-Year-Old Woman and Toddler
A fire broke out on the top floor of an 11-storey residential building in Vile Parle West on Tuesday night around 10 pm, killing a 23-year-old woman and a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, while leaving six others injured. The incident occurred in flat No. 1102 at Shanta Bhuvan Co-operative Housing Society on Baptista Road, near St Xavier’s School.
The deceased were identified as 23-year-old Ankita Chhetri, a househelp and caretaker, and two-and-a-half-year-old Abir. According to accounts of the incident, Chhetri rushed to secure the child as the blaze spread through the flat. She eventually took refuge inside a bathroom with the boy as flames engulfed the residence, and both died due to suffocation.
The owner of the flat, 64-year-old Hiren Batavia, was in the living room when the fire began. He managed to rescue his six-year-old granddaughter, Maira, from the home. Batavia sustained minor burn injuries when he attempted to re-enter the residence to save Abir and others, but he was unable to reach them due to the intensity of the fire.
Other family members were also inside or nearby at the time. Abir's uncle, 32-year-old Parth Batavia, was in the shower in another bedroom and became aware of the blaze only after stepping out into intense heat. The child's parents were out for a post-dinner walk when the fire broke out. The building was originally developed by the child's grandfather.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade declared the fire a Level-I emergency at 10.08 pm and upgraded it to Level-II at 10.16 pm. Firefighters carried out operations for nearly three hours before bringing the blaze under control at around 1 am on Wednesday.
Investigating officials stated that the fire covered an area of approximately 4,000 square feet, damaging electrical wiring and installations, an air conditioning unit, household articles, furniture, a false ceiling, and the kitchen.
A preliminary probe suggests an iron press left on clothes for several minutes could have triggered the blaze, based on statements that the househelp attended to the child while leaving the iron on. Fire officials are also examining whether an electrical short circuit involving an AC unit above the living room television caused the fire. A full investigation into the exact cause remains ongoing.
