Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya escape a Mumbai apartment fire with newborn twins.
Building guard Dhanpat Mahatu, 56, dies after smoke suffocation.
A Diwali puja diya is suspected to have triggered the Runwal Tower blaze.
Television actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya have shared an emotional tribute to their building's security guard, Dhanpat Mahatu, who died after a fire broke out at their Mumbai apartment building on Saturday night, a day before Diwali. The couple and their family, including their newborn twin boys, evacuated safely. However, the incident left them mourning the loss of someone who had become part of their everyday lives.
Divyanka Tripathi remembers guard who blessed her twins
In a joint Instagram post on Tuesday, the couple recalled how Dhanpat, whom they fondly called Dhanpat Uncle, was among the first people to welcome their babies home. Sharing an old video of him blessing the twins, they wrote, "Some losses leave behind a silence that never quite goes away. 💔 When we brought our babies home for the first time, one of the first people to welcome and bless them was our beloved Dhanpat Uncle, the guard of our building."
They also spoke about the future they had imagined for him and their children, adding, "We had imagined the years ahead… him watching our boys grow, the children playing with their Dhanpat Uncle, and countless little moments we unknowingly took for granted. We never imagined those moments would remain only dreams."
Vivek Dahiya and Divyanka Tripathi escape apartment fire
Both Vivek and Divyanka shared that they had planned to step out that evening, but their departure was delayed. They were still at home when they noticed the fire and managed to evacuate with their children, family members and staff. They initially believed they had escaped with only material damage, until they learnt about Dhanpat's death.
"For a while, we thought we had escaped with only a frightening memory and material damage. Until we heard about Dhanpat Uncle. Vivek and I struggled to accept the news. Even as we took refuge at a friend’s home, we kept hoping, praying that somehow it wasn’t true," they wrote.
What happened at Runwal Tower in Andheri?
According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the blaze was reported around 9.50 pm at Flat 1702 in Runwal Tower. A diya lit during the Diwali puja is suspected to have started the fire. An assistant fire officer said the flames originated in the living room.
Dhanpat was found unconscious in the lift lobby and later declared dead at Cooper Hospital at around 2 am. The 56-year-old had worked in the building for nine years and was well liked by residents.
