NEW DELHI: Pankaj Kumar Pandey had escaped from the burning building in Tughlaqabad when he realised that his family was still inside. He ran back in, and never made it out.
The 28-year-old owned a mobile phone shop and was the primary breadwinner for his family, which included his mother, two sisters, and maternal grandmother. Two years ago, Pankaj bought a flat in Tughlaqabad to provide them with a permanent home.
Pankaj, his grandmother Sushila Devi, and sister Soni lost their lives in the blaze on Friday. His mother, Guddi, and younger sister, Moni, are in critical condition. Pankaj had lost his father a few years ago and took on the responsibility of supporting the family and caring for his sisters.
Relatives shared their grief with TOI. Bam Bam Jha said he spoke to the family via video call hours before the fire, discussing routine matters. “Around 6am, I called Pankaj and others. No one answered. I grew anxious and came to Tughlaqabad, where a huge crowd had gathered outside the building. That’s when I learned of the tragedy,” Jha said. His wife Anshu broke down as relatives and neighbours arrived. “It was horrific. My family is gone,” she wept.
Another relative, Suresh Chandra Pandey, said he had advised Pankaj against buying the modest two-room flat because the area was too congested, “but he was determined to have a house of his own for the family.” One of Pankaj’s relatives had died in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday; Pankaj was scheduled to travel there on June 17. “Before he could leave, this happened,” Suresh said.
The family previously lived in Pul Prahladpur before moving to Tughlaqabad. Soni, the elder sister, was a graduate and worked at a boutique; Moni had recently completed Class X. Residents said when Pankaj realised his mother, sisters, and grandmother might be trapped, he ran back without hesitation. “That’s when he got trapped,” a resident said.
Seventy-year-old Sushila, Pankaj’s maternal grandmother, had been living with her daughter Guddi due to health complications that left her unable to speak and requiring constant care. Now, as Guddi and Moni battle for life, the rest of the family is gone. The future Pankaj worked so hard to build has been reduced to ashes.
