Son’s bid to rescue parents proved fatal

Mumbai: Rushing to the burning tower to save his parents’ lives proved fatal for Ashok Sampat, who died after getting stuck in a lift.

While his parents were saved by the fire brigade, the unfortunate death of Ashok has sent shockwaves among the residents of Crystal Tower building.

According to local residents, Ashok’s parents — Navinchand Sampat (77) and Veena Sampat (74) – live on the topmost floor, whereas Ashok lived in a nearby building with this family.

On being heard about the fire news, he rushed to the building worrying about his parents.

“When he saw that upper floor residents are trapped in the fire, he decided to enter the building and took a lift to reach to his parents. However, unfortunately he got stuck in the lift and died due to suffocation,” said one of the residents of the building.

While residents were grieving about four deaths, they were also lauding the efforts of 10-year-old school girl Zen Gunaratn Sadavarte, who showed exemplary courage by guiding the stranded people how to deal with the suffocation.

Zen, a student of Class VI of Don Bosco School in Matunga, showed presence of mind by employing safety tips she had learnt at school to ensure that her family and neighbours remained safe.