On Tuesday, an excited Farhad Wadia, 26, had rushed to his mother’s office at Grant Road to tell her that he had been promoted at work. Within two months of joining Bombay House as a canteen boy, the eldest son of the Parsi family had been appointed as a cashier. A day later, Wadia’s father was at St George Hospital to claim his body.
Printed in Hindustan Times
Wadia was one of the three Tata Group employees who died in the fire that broke out in the building’s basement.
A relative, who was waiting with Wadia’s father at the hospital, said that the family was in shock. “We were all happy for him on Tuesday and today he has left us crying,” the relative said, requesting that his name to be withheld.
All three victims, Wadia, Sushant Pawar and Ishwar Patel, died due to suffocation. Pawar, 32, a Nalasopara resident, had gone to Bombay House to deliver food. He worked with the Ratan Tata Institute at Grant Road and entered the building minutes before the fire broke out. His brother, Hemant, said he had been too busy completing the procedure to claim Pawar’s body to find out what had happened.
Patel, 45, had been working in the Bombay House canteen for more than 10 years. He lived in Naigaon with a friend, Raj Pereira. Another friend, who was at the hospital, said Patel had no relatives and he had come to Mumbai when he was 10.
The post mortem report said none of the victims suffered any injuries. Doctors at St George Hospital said that they all died of asphyxia and that their blood samples have been sent for chemical analysis.
Three people injured in the fire, Chandrakant More, 43, Suresh Patel, 36, and Shrikant Kutte, 26, were admitted to the hospital’s medical intensive care unit. Their condition was stable.
Another employee, Shivaji Desai, 56, was recuperating in the hospital’s medicine ward. Apart from Kutte, who is a security guard with Topsline, the others are Tata Group employees.
Editors Note: I have known Farhad right from the time he was a young Boy Scout in our troop, the Sethna’s 18th West Bombay Scout Group. He was a second generation scout in India’s oldest Scout Group. He leaves behind his parents and younger brother. This is a very sad day for Dinshawji, his dad and the entire family, and the Scout Troop will miss one of its own.
I understand that Bombay House are availing of sevices of a Security Agency called Tops who are known to charge exhorbitantly. The Security Guards are expected to be handymen in such eventualities. Did they perform the functons expected from them? Merely carrying Walkie Talkies and opening doors of Cars of vistors is not the duty of such Guards.
May Farhad’s Soul rest in Eternal Peace and Ahura Mazda grant his family the strength to bear this irrepairable loss.
RIP – Farhad!
It is very sad indeed, not only for the Wadia family, but for all the families of the deceased employees to lose their beloveds in the fire. Heartfelt condolences to all the three families and pray to Almighty to rest the departed souls in peace and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this sad and sudden loss.
I understand that Bombay House are availing of sevices of a Security Agency called Tops who are known to charge exhorbitantly. The Security Guards are expected to be handymen in such eventualities. Did they perform the functons expected from them? Merely carrying Walkie Talkies and opening doors of Cars of vistors is not the duty of such Guards.
and all these old cracking in houses at Grant Road … and all over Bombay … beautiful houses – all need badly a renovation!
Poor boy(s) – poor families!
May Farhad’s Soul rest in Eternal Peace and Ahura Mazda grant his family the strength to bear this irrepairable loss.
RIP – Farhad!
It is so heart-rending to read about young Farhad’s tragic death, especially after the wonderful tidings that he carried home to his family just a day before, about being promoted at work. One day all were jubilating, the next day onwards only grief.
Our sincere condolences to his daddy Dinshaw Wadia, his Mummy and brother.
Robin Shukla
Deputy News Editor
Afternoon Despatch & Courier
It is very sad indeed, not only for the Wadia family, but for all the families of the deceased employees to lose their beloveds in the fire. Heartfelt condolences to all the three families and pray to Almighty to rest the departed souls in peace and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this sad and sudden loss.
and all these old cracking in houses at Grant Road … and all over Bombay … beautiful houses – all need badly a renovation!
Poor boy(s) – poor families!
Sad to to hear of this loss. May Farhad’s soul rest in peace.
Rita
It is so heart-rending to read about young Farhad’s tragic death, especially after the wonderful tidings that he carried home to his family just a day before, about being promoted at work. One day all were jubilating, the next day onwards only grief.
Our sincere condolences to his daddy Dinshaw Wadia, his Mummy and brother.
Robin Shukla
Deputy News Editor
Afternoon Despatch & Courier
what a horrible tragedy. i pray that God gives courage to their families.
adding my sorrow at the tragedy that has befallen three families. if Bombay House is — apparently — so poorly prepared for fire and smoke, i wonder about the rest of the office buildings in that area. i hope there is an investigation, at the very least so these places where tens of thousands of Mumbai residents spend hours at work are modernized to prevent future such tragedies.
Sad to to hear of this loss. May Farhad’s soul rest in peace.
Rita
what a horrible tragedy. i pray that God gives courage to their families.
adding my sorrow at the tragedy that has befallen three families. if Bombay House is — apparently — so poorly prepared for fire and smoke, i wonder about the rest of the office buildings in that area. i hope there is an investigation, at the very least so these places where tens of thousands of Mumbai residents spend hours at work are modernized to prevent future such tragedies.
Very sad insident. May Farhad soul rest in peace & May Ahuramazda grant his family & friends the strength to bear this terrible loss & pain.
Very sad insident. May Farhad soul rest in peace & May Ahuramazda grant his family & friends the strength to bear this terrible loss & pain.
being a wellwisher of Tatas and parsis i express my sympathy and my sincere condolences to all three who lost life in bomaby house fire.
I am sure and confident Ratanji will do everything for the family of those dies in fire.and sure Ratanji also very sad when he knew about this.
wellsisher
being a wellwisher of Tatas and parsis i express my sympathy and my sincere condolences to all three who lost life in bomaby house fire.
I am sure and confident Ratanji will do everything for the family of those dies in fire.and sure Ratanji also very sad when he knew about this.
wellsisher
Another of life’s cruel hands dealt to Farhad and his family … hearts filled with joy one evening only for it all to be snuffed out with the dawn of a new day. May his young soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to the families of all three victims. May all three souls rest in eternal peace.
Another of life’s cruel hands dealt to Farhad and his family … hearts filled with joy one evening only for it all to be snuffed out with the dawn of a new day. May his young soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to the families of all three victims. May all three souls rest in eternal peace.