Gurugram Building Fire Claims Another Life As Victim’s Mother Dies

Vaishali Tikekar, Swati Garg’s mother, too was stuck in the fire at Gurugram’s Tulip Orange Towers on 8 October.

The massive fire at Gurugram’s Tulip Orange apartments in the wee hours of 8 October has claimed one more life as the mother of Swati Garg – the woman who died trying to save many – died at the hospital on Friday, 12 October.

61-year-old Vaishali Tikekar, Swati’s mother, too was stuck in the fire along with Swati and her family.

Tikekar, who was suffering from asthama, was hospitalised after she inhaled smoke from the fire and suffered minor burns.

32-year-old Swati died after saving many lives during the fire. She knocked at many residents’ doors alerting them of fire in the staircase of the tower that started after 2 am.

Although many managed to save themselves, firefighters found Swati dead five floors above her flat where she got trapped due to locked doors.

Her body was found on the 10th floor staircase, next to a locked door to terrace. Her handprints on the wall and door suggested her struggle before she chocked due to the smoke.

According to The Times of India, Tikekar was shifted to Artemis hospital on Wednesday, 10 October, after receiving treatment at Park hospital for three days. She was moved to her hometown, Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, 11 October.

The fire started due to a short circuit in first floor’s electricity meter of the 36 flat tower. The fire reached 10th floor in two minutes, but contained to the stairwell.

Swati’s husband Girsh took their four-year-old daughter, Swati’s mother and a visiting friend out. It was due to the excessive smoke that Swati lost track of her family.

When we first got out of the flat, there was smoke all around. We first tried to go downstairs but could not go beyond the third floor. We returned to our flat because we were suffocating.

Girish Garg, Swati’s husband told the The Times of India

Lack of Preventive Measures

As reported by The Times of India, it took firefighters 45 minutes to reach the sector 70 location. The residents of Gurugram’s new sectors had expressed their concern over lack of fire stations in the area as the Haryana government is yet to build the stations in these sectors.

Tulip Infrastructure, Apple (facility management company) and its managers, and officials of DTCP who gave approval are responsible for the fire and death of my wife and action should be taken against all of them.

Girish Garg told The Times of India

A case against the developer Tulip Infrastructure and its maintenance agency has been filed at Badshahpur police station under section 304 , police commissioner KK Rao, Times of India reported. The Tulip Orange society has 500 flats.

Parveen Jain, MD of Tulip Infratech, called the incident ‘very unfortunate’ but denied the allegations made by residents, which include a paucity of working firgefighting equipments.

All Tulip buildings have necessary approvals. Our workforce along with residents and the fire brigade controlled the fire.

Parveen Jain, MD of Tulip Infratech to TOI

Swati ‘Helped Save Lives

Swati’s neighbour Monica Singh said that it was because of Swati that everyone quickly acted and escaped the fire.

She was the one who alerted everyone giving the residents the opportunity to leave on time.

Swati worked in an interior designing firm in DLF 2 and her body was taken to her native place Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh.

(With inputs from The Times of India)