Day after,Mahim building collapse victims recount horror

“I lost my son and my mother in the collapse. My brother lost his daughter,” said Aslam Lakha.

Aslam’s son,Mobin,18,had just given his Class XII board exams and was assisting his grandfather at his shop. That night,Mobin returned from the shop early and was working on his computer when the building caved in. “We were sitting at the dining table. The last time I saw,my son was busy with his computer,” said Aslam.

Zaibunissa Abdul Sattar Lakha (76),Aslam’s mother,was sitting near Mobin. She was declared dead on arrival at Bandra’s Bhabha Hospital. “In a matter of 10 seconds,the whole structure collapsed. I didn’t get time to react,” Aslam said.

Zeba Lakha (17), Aslam’s niece,was sleeping in her room at the time of the collapse. She had cleared her Class XI exams and was about to begin a new academic year. “She must not have even realised what happened before she died,it was all so sudden,” added Aslam. Aslam and his wife sustained minor injuries,while his son Hamza (16),was not at home.

75-year-old Halima Sheikh was offering her evening prayers when the mishap occurred. She worked as a domestic help in one of the flats and she either slept there or at her daughter Rashida’s house near Mahim police station. On Monday,she stayed over at her employer Reshma’s house and was killed.

Arif,her grandson,remembers her as a strong energetic woman. “This was one unfortunate night. I wish she had come over at our place to sleep,” lamented Arif. “Even at the age of 75,Nanima managed to work. She could climb stairs and walk around without help,” he said.

Sunil Kuma Mishra (40) who hails from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh,has been living alone in Mumbai for the past year. He began work at the Maruti showroom on the ground floor of Altaf Manzil six months ago. When the building caved in,he was shutting down the showroom.

“It was a matter of a few minutes. I would have survived the accident if I had shut it earlier,” said Mishra,who is recuperating at KEM Hospital.

“Two of my colleagues had left the showroom and were waiting outside when the ceiling came crashing down. I lost consciousness,” he added.

Fire officials rescued Mishra from the rubble. His family,including his wife,lives in Jaunpur,while he has been living in Mumbai. “I’m waiting for my brother to reach Mumbai from Punjab; he will get me transferred to another hospital,” said Mishra.

alison.saldanha@expressindia.com