Television actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya revealed on Tuesday that a fire had broken out in their residential building on Saturday, a day before Diwali, forcing them to evacuate with their twin sons, family members and staff. While the couple managed to escape unharmed, the building's security guard lost his life in the incident, Divyanka said in a social media post.
On Tuesday, Divyanka and Vivek shared a joint Instagram post mourning the death of their building's security guard, whom they fondly remembered as ‘Dhanpat Uncle’.
"On the night before Diwali and Viv’s birthday, a devastating fire broke out in our building. We had plans to step out that evening, but somehow, our plans kept getting delayed. We were home when the mishap occurred, which allowed us to spot the danger in time and evacuate with our babies, family and staff. For a while, we thought we had escaped with only a frightening memory and material damage. Until we heard about Dhanpat Uncle," the couple wrote.
Recalling their association with the security guard, Divyanka and Vivek shared that he was among the first people to bless their sons when they brought them home from the hospital after their birth. The couple had hoped to see him watch their children grow up.
"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. 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," they wrote.
The couple also recalled struggling to come to terms with the news of his death. While they had taken refuge at a friend's house following the fire, they continued to hope that the reports were untrue.
"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," the 41-year-old actress wrote.
Alongside their note, Divyanka and Vivek shared a video of Dhanpat Uncle blessing their twin sons when they first arrived home from the hospital.
Reflecting on how the tragedy had overshadowed their Diwali celebrations, Divyanka wrote, "As Diwali arrived, electricity was gradually restored. The gas supply and lifts were reinstated the day after Diwali, following diligent safety checks. But normalcy didn’t return with them. Our entire wing had come to a standstill, and not merely because of the infrastructural damage. The fire dimmed the lights of our home that Diwali, but the loss of a precious life left a darkness in our hearts that no amount of light can undo."
"Dhanpat Uncle, you were never just the guard of our building. You were part of our everyday lives, someone we trusted, someone we had imagined in our children’s tomorrow. We will miss you deeply. And when our boys are old enough, we will tell them about the kind man who welcomed them home with his blessings, who was indispensable in our everyday life and that - we should never take anyone’s presence for granted," she concluded.
According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the fire was reported at around 9.50 pm on Saturday at Flat No. 1702 in Runwal Tower. An assistant fire officer said that a lit diya used during the Diwali puja was suspected to have triggered the blaze.
Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer, said Dhanpat appeared to have attempted to use the lift rather than the staircase after smoke began spreading through the building.
"He was rescued by firemen using the staircase and taken to Kokilaben Hospital. He was subsequently shifted to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead at 2 am. The firefighting system in the C wing was operational and we were able to control the fire," he said.
Gaurav Maini, a resident of C Tower, also said that Dhanpat had been working in the building for nine years and was well-liked by its residents.
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