Kalbadevi fire tragedy: Injured ‘26/11 hero’ dies, fire brigade gives guard of honour

“He was a fighter” say colleagues and friends. Braveheart of #Mumbai fire brigade Sudhir Amin @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/r7pLAK8HnR

— Tanushree V (@tanushreevenkat) May 14, 2015

The last time the fire brigade did this was for former chief fire officer V V Rao in 1999.

The deputy chief fire officer, , along with Chief Fire Officer Sunil Nesarikar, had been rushed to the National Burns Centre after being rescued from the debris. Amin had sustained 90 per cent fourth degree burns and was not able to breathe. His lungs were damaged and he had been put on ventilator. Dr Sunil Keswani, medical director at the hospital, said, “He (Amin) developed sepsis and his condition worsened.”

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On Thursday, doctors said the infection due to burns spread in his body and caused multi-organ failure. His kidney had also been affected and he was put on dialysis earlier this week.  Amin is survived by his wife Sharmila and two children Yashas, who is studying in Class II, and Pranavi, who is in kindergarten.

A BSC in Chemistry, the 49-year-old had also done a specialised course from London  and the National Fire Service College in Nagpur. Amin joined the service in 1989. He had also received a bravery certificate for his role in the Lotus Business Park fire-fighting operation.  “He was a great leader. It is a big loss. Experience acts as a great teacher in a profession like this. Today, we have lost all of his rich experience,” said R A Chaudhary, Assistant Divisional Officer (Technical).

“He had fought endlessly during the Mumbai Taj attacks. During 26/11, his mother had asked him to quit the job and stay at home but he…pursued to fight endlessly,” a relative at his Chembur home said.  For friends, Amin would always be remembered as someone “who would go out of his way to help others”.

He had a passion for cycling and trekking, and was a specialist in use of rope in rescue.

K V Hiwrale, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and  his batchmate, said, “He had also created a team under him for ‘rope and rescue’. He was a part of trekking clubs and had cycled all the way to Kerala once.”  Assistant Station Officer Shailendra Pol said, “He was known for his lovely nature and good heart. It is a sad news.”  He  was to leave for Udipi Monday but sent his wife and children Saturday and postponed his trip. Nitin Patil, his school friend, said, “He would always come late for our meetings. Why did he have to leave this world so early?”

“The question here is not his death but the people who remain behind him. What is going to happen to his wife and children? Even though the wife may take up a job, who will look after the children? We dread such a day for our husbands,” said a neighbour who is the wife of another fire officer.

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com