Mumtaz, 23, in ICU After Tughlaqabad Fire; Saved Sisters, Returned for Cat
New Delhi: Mumtaz (23) is currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Safdarjung Hospital, suffering from burns sustained in the devastating Tughlaqabad building fire. In a courageous act, she first rescued her two younger sisters on Friday and then ventured back into the blazing structure to save her cat, Coco.
“Meri Coco kahan hai (where is my Coco)?” the young beautician repeatedly asked her family while in the burns ward ICU. The family remains unaware of Coco’s whereabouts, as the cat has not been seen since the incident.
What is known, however, is how Mumtaz ensured her sisters’ safety first. As flames and thick smoke engulfed the building, her immediate instinct was to get her sisters, Kareena (18) and Seema (16), to safety. She helped them escape the building before deciding to rescue Coco.
By the time she went back for her pet, thick smoke had filled the building. Minutes later, realizing she was trapped, Mumtaz called her husband and other family members. Her husband, Deepak, a bike taxi driver, recalled her words during the phone call around 2 a.m.
Deepak was in Agra, having gone there to assist a friend, and was sitting in a police station when his phone rang. “I got a call from Mumtaz. She was screaming and crying. She kept saying ‘bachao’. She said she couldn’t see a thing because of the smoke,” Deepak said. “I told her to stay calm and jump to the neighbouring terrace, if possible. She told me the smoke had reached our house,” he added.
Mumtaz’s mother, Kishwar Jahan, said the family rushed to the building after receiving her call. “When we reached, we learnt that she had somehow managed to get her sisters out. She opened the gates and helped them escape. But she went back inside for Coco,” Kishwar said.
Coco was a gift to Mumtaz, arriving at her home just over a month ago. Kishwar noted that Mumtaz is repeatedly asking about her cat.
Mumtaz, who suffered burns and smoke inhalation, was on the verge of a fresh start. She had quit her job at a beauty parlour in Faridabad and secured a new position at a parlour in RK Puram, where she was due to start in two days. The family was also preparing to move into a new rented accommodation nearby. “All our belongings were packed. We were supposed to shift tomorrow,” Deepak said.
Mumtaz’s sisters are currently receiving treatment at AIIMS.
About the Author
Devanshi Mehta is a crime correspondent uncovering Delhi’s unseen crisis—addiction, systemic violence, and the quiet suffering of women, children, and marginalised communities. Her reporting brings nuance to the headlines, focusing on those forgotten by the system. Through deeply reported stories, she explores the human cost of crime, neglect, and broken justice.
