‘Everyone is corrupt’: Anger, grief at Gurgaon home that lost 8 to South Delhi fire
The fire at Flourish Stays in Hauz Rani claimed the lives of 21 people, including 8 members of a single family who were in Delhi for a relative’s hospital treatment.
Vivek Aggarwal, his wife Tarjani, and their two young daughters, Jeeviska and Waria, and his mother Premlata. (Photo enhanced using AI) “Everyone is corrupt, that is why I have lost most of my family,” said Vishnu Kant Garg, shaking in anger.
On Wednesday, his nephew Vivek Aggarwal and seven members of their extended family were among the 21 killed in a blaze at Flourish Stays, a bed-and-breakfast in Hauz Rani.
They had come to Delhi after Radhe Shyam Aggarwal, a man in his 70s, had been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Max Hospital in Saket for several days. Vivek, his son, had rented rooms at Flourish Stays.
The fire claimed the lives of Vivek, his mother Premlata, his wife Tarjani, and their two young daughters, Jeeviska and Waria. Also staying at the hotel were Vivek’s maternal uncle, Ashok Goyal of Kishangarh, and his mother’s sister Kamla and her husband Jimri, who also lost their lives in the blaze.
Relatives of the victims of the fire incident outside AIIMS Trauma Centre, in New Delhi, on Thursday. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)
Seething at the civic apathy, Vishnu told The Indian Express, “I will give Rs 20 lakh, I challenge the Prime Minister and Delhi government — run bulldozers and demolish all the illegal properties there… so no other lives can be lost. Who will bring back my nephew?” he added.
Outside Vivek’s sprawling two-storey property in Gurgaon’s Sector 46, relatives gathered on the ground floor and the area outside to pay their condolences. The family said Vivek, in his late 40s, was a chartered accountant and Deputy CFO at InsuranceDekho. He moved to Gurgaon with his family in 2019.
“Vivek had built the house with his own money. The family lived on the first floor and rented out the other portion,” said Vivek’s cousin, Vijay.
It was Vijay, a sales executive working in Delhi’s Kotla, who had last spoken to Vivek when the fire started. He rushed to the hospital immediately.
At Vivek’s Gurgaon home on Thursday. (Express photo)
Vijay added that he and Vivek had studied together in Rajasthan. “We were practically brothers,” he said.
Vishnu, a tax lawyer practicing in Kashmir, drove down to Delhi and reached late in the afternoon. “Shyam was not keeping well… I had spoken to Vivek a week ago. I have lost him now,” he said.
A neighbour, Ravinder Khatri, said their families were close: “What happened is very tragic. Vivek was a bright man, I would see him cycling 5-6 km every morning in our neighbourhood. Shyam had some issue with his lungs, but I had spoken to him about a week ago at the park. They were a very good family and kind people.”
Vivek’s colleague said, “Our company arranges fire insurance (among others) for people… and now…”
Relatives said Vivek’s wife was an events planner, while his daughter was studying in Bengaluru.
Shyam Agarwal remains in the ICU, unaware of the devastating loss. “What will he wake up to now?” Ravinder said.
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