A WOMAN and her minor son, who were on a family visit to Mumbai from Scotland, died in a fire that broke out in a residential building in Kandivali on Monday. The two were identified as Glory Valthaty (45) and her son Joshua Gems Robert (8). Glory is the sister of former cricketer Paul Valthaty, who played for Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Officials said three persons sustained severe burn injuries in the fire. Glory, who lived in Scotland along with her family, was visiting their ailing parents at the eight-storey Veena Santoor Cooperative Housing Society in Kandivali where the fire broke out. Ravinda Ambulgekar, Chief Fire Officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade, said that preliminary information suggests that an unattended burning diya in a first-floor flat in the building's F wing led to the blaze around noon. “There was a burning diya inside a flat which seems to be the source of the blaze. The fire started inside the flat and spread towards the electrical wiring in the duct leading to the blaze,” said Ambulgekar. The building did not have a functional fire fighting system, officials alleged. “Heavy smoke caused by the fire reached the sixth floor as furniture and other items of the first-floor flat started burning. The flame soon spread to upper floors, trapping residents,” said an official. The Valhaty family lived on the fourth floor of the F wing. VIDEO | Fire breaks out at Veena Santoor building in Mumbai. Fire tenders are at the spot. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/65XAu9PYF0 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 23, 2023 A family member said Glory was visiting to meet her ailing parents, both of whom are bedridden. When the blaze broke out, the entire family was inside the flat. Paul, along with his wife, children and Glory’s elder daughter rushed downstairs. However, Glory and her son along with their two house helps are believed to have been trapped in the staircase while trying to escape. “Glory’s husband, Noel Robert, was inside the flat with the ailing parents. He asked his wife and son to rush out along with house-maids. Ideally, they were supposed to go upstairs toward the terrace. But we do not know why they went downstairs,” said Gladstone Behra, a relative. The two helps – Rajeshwari Adhe (24) and Laxmi Bura (40) – sustained severe burn injuries and were admitted to the Shatabdi Hospital. Rajeshwari suffered 80-90 per cent burns while Laxmi sustained 50-60 per cent burns, said a doctor at the hospital. Rajeshwari, a native of Yavatmal, has been working with the family since June. “She was appointed here as trained care-taker for patients via an agency from our native place in Yavatmal,” said Praveen Mudhe, Rajeshwari’s brother-in-law. Laxmi, who started working at the house just 10 days ago, is from Karnataka’s Yadgir district. Also injured in the fire ws a 75-year-old resident of the building, Ranjan Shah, who lived on the third floor. She suffered 45-50 per cent burns. Officials said it took around four hours to control the fire. The society's secretary, Nielsh Desai, who was among the first rescuers, blamed encroachment on the land adjacent to their residential building for causing obstacles for the fire brigade. “It has practically blocked our society’s second gate. This caused limitations in movement of vehicles of the fire brigade,” he said.
