Mumbai: A devastating fire engulfed a nine-storey building in Kandivli on Monday, leading to the tragic loss of lives of a former Indian Premier League (IPL) cricketer, Paul Valthaty’s sister and nephew. Paul Valthaty, who was a part of the cricketing world, was present at the scene during the incident, assisting other residents in their efforts to evacuate the building.
The sister and nephew of the cricketer, Glory Roberts and Joshua, were residents of the United Kingdom and had journeyed from Scotland to be with their family. Glory, who was visiting, wanted to see her ailing mother, bringing her family along for the trip. Noel, Glory’s husband, was also in the building when the fire broke out. He reportedly instructed Glory and their son Joshua to leave the house, along with their maids, to ensure their safety.
Following Noel’s advice, both Glory and Joshua successfully reached the first floor of the building, aiming to descend to safety. However, the relentless fire and intense heat blocked their path further. In a desperate effort, they tried to reach the terrace, but this escape route proved inaccessible as well. Tragically, the maids who accompanied them also sustained critical injuries in their ordeal.
The fire incident unfolded in a ground-plus-eight floor residential building, known as Veena Santoor Co-op Housing Society, located at Sai Baba Nagar in the Borivli West area’s Mantanpada locality. The fire was first reported at 12:27 pm on that fateful Monday. Initially categorized as a Level 1 fire (not severe), it took firefighters until 4:34 pm to completely douse the flames. The fire primarily affected electric wiring and other electrical installations on the building’s first floor. Those injured in the incident were promptly admitted to the BMC-run Shatabdi Hospital, although the unfortunate incident resulted in two fatalities and left three individuals injured.