Fire in Bhiwandi cotton godown claims mother, son

The cotton godown, rented by Santosh Chapekar, had eight to ten workers on duty at the time. While the workers escaped safely, Shakuntala and her son sought refuge in the bathroom, where they perished

Bhiwandi: On Tuesday evening, Shakuntala Rajbhar, a 34-year-old woman employed in a cotton pillow manufacturing company in Parasnath compound, Val village, and her three-year-old son, Prince Rajbhar, lost their lives when a fire broke out in the unit.

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The incident was reported to Bhiwandi fire station at around 5:30 p.m. Two fire engines rushed to the scene, and fire officers found the mother and son trapped inside. It is suspected that a machinery spark may have started the fire. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 9:30 p.m.

The cotton godown, rented by Santosh Chapekar, had eight to ten workers on duty at the time. While the workers escaped safely, Shakuntala and her son sought refuge in the bathroom, where they perished. They were taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for post-mortem.

Ravi Rajbhar, Shakuntala’s husband, rushed to the scene upon learning of the fire, only to discover that his wife and son were trapped in the godown’s bathroom. Shakuntala’s brother, Satyanaraya Rajbhar, shared that she attempted to shield her son during the fire. But when the fire brigade pulled them out three hours later, it was too late.

Vikas Raut, assistant police inspector at Napoli police station, stated that post-mortem examinations would be conducted, and the bodies released to the family members later.