She ran to save the child she cared for. Both died as fire engulfed Vile Parle flat

On a Tuesday night in Vile Parle West, a fire erupted on the 11th floor of a flat belonging to Shanta Bhuvan. Twenty-three-year-old Ankita Chetri, who cared for two-and-a-half-year-old Abir Batavia, rushed towards the child's bedroom as smoke began to fill the room. Chetri managed to carry Abir into the attached bathroom, likely in an attempt to shield them from the flames and smoke.

Tragically, both Chetri and Abir succumbed to smoke inhalation. Abir's body was found in Chetri's arms. In a further twist, by Wednesday evening, Chetri's body was at the mortuary as her family had not yet arrived to complete the necessary formalities. The building's secretary, Ketan Parikh, informed that Chetri was originally from Siliguri, West Bengal, and that a relative had come to identify her.

Her family was en route to collect her remains, expected to arrive by Thursday morning. Chetri had been employed by the Batavia family for less than a year. Abir's parents, Siddharth and Jaini, were present at home, too traumatized to speak about the incident. The tragedy unfolded around 10 pm in the four-basement, ground-plus-11-storey building on Baptista Road, a residential project completed in 2020 by the Batavia family's real estate company, Labh Homes Creations and Holdings.

Hiren Batavia, 64, the managing director of the company, resided with his joint family in the flat. Preliminary findings suggest the fire started in the hall around 9.45 pm, possibly due to an electrical fault involving the AC unit above the television or an iron being used by Chetri. Despite Hiren's desperate attempts to reach the trapped bedroom, the intense heat and smoke made it impossible for him to do so.

A fire brigade officer speculated that the pair might have survived if the bedroom window had been open. In the adjoining bedroom, Hiren's son Parth, 32, was initially oblivious to the fire. Upon opening his door, he was engulfed by a cloud of smoke and attempted to block it with towels before exiting onto the balcony. Firefighters rescued Parth and transported him to Nanavati Hospital.

As the fire intensified, many residents fled to the terrace. The building's secretary, along with others, assisted in the firefighting effort, while watchman Shivam Dwivedi and fire brigade official Manoj Sonawane suffered minor injuries during the rescue operation. Evacuating the building was particularly challenging due to the presence of senior citizens.

Firefighters managed to lower some residents, including one in a wheelchair, through the staircase. However, the building's compound presented an additional obstacle, with limited space for a fire brigade vehicle to access the building directly. Firefighters had to carry out the rescues manually through the staircase. The building was equipped with a firefighting system, including sprinklers and fire extinguishers; however, few residents were aware of how to operate the pump.

The additional municipal commissioner of the BMC, Vipin Sharma, emphasized the importance of residents familiarizing themselves with their firefighting systems, stating that this incident is a valuable lesson for the neighborhood.