Laxmi Chhaya collapse 2007: Buried toddler now all of 18

Rescuers pull out Shreya from the collapse site in Borivli West, on July 18, 2007. Pics/Nimesh Dave

On this day in 2007, the Mehta family witnessed two "miraculous" rescues after the collapse of a building at Laxmi Chhaya society in Borivli West. When the A wing came crashing down on the evening of July 18, the debris trapped a three-year-old and her mother. While the mother was pulled out two hours after the collapse, rescuers dug out Shreya Mehta, who is now 18-year-old, after four hours of constant efforts.

Also read: Kurla building collapse: At least 19 dead, four including 17-year-old admitted to Rajawadi Hospital

Shreya Mehta, now 18, was 3 when Laxmi Chhaya collapsed in 2007

Twenty-nine people lost their lives when the A wing caved in around 6.15 pm. The Mehtas lived on a third-floor flat. "July 18 is here, but since I do not remember anything about my state then or how I survived, the date does not hold any significance for me, in that context," Shreya explained. "We would all like to forget that day," said her father Ketan Mehta, 48.

‘Everything went black'

"Try as I might, July 18, 2007, will stay with me forever," said homemaker Falguni Mehta, Shreya's mother. "I remember I was getting Shreya ready for a visit to the garden near the house. We used to often go there in the evenings. Just as we were about to leave, I heard a sound, I think, and before I could process it, everything went black." Falguni and Shreya were buried in the rubble.

Shreya listened, as her mother recalled, "I did not have the time to comprehend what had happened. I just knew I was under debris, and started calling her name". Shreya answered a couple of times. "I heard her voice, and waves of relief washed over me. At the same time, there was an overpowering feeling of despair. I was quite sure there was no coming out of this now. I was certain that we were going to die," she added.

Racing heart

Ketan, a chartered accountant (CA), said, "I was away at work. I rushed back as soon as I got a call about the calamity. I saw the mountain of debris. My heart was racing. We were kept at bay by the rescue squad comprising fire brigade, workers and police."

Shreya with her mother Falguni and father Ketan. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Falguni said, "I could hear voices as I was trapped. I heard the crunch of boots above my head. Somebody was walking above me. I started shouting from the debris, hoping somebody could hear. By now, I could not hear Shreya's voice.

"Then, I saw a little gap within the rubble. I got hold of a stick, maybe. I grabbed it and pushed it through that opening, and swayed the stick relentlessly. Somebody must have spotted it, as I heard people rushing towards me. After nearly two hours, I was dug out and put on a stretcher," recalled Falguni, who is now 46.

Falguni had broken her left leg and right arm. "I recall holding my broken right arm with my left. There was a lot of blood, but not too much pain. Maybe I was not in a state to feel it," she said. Before being whisked away to a hospital, she told the rescuers "to find my girl".

Ketan said, "I saw my wife being wheeled away, and I now yearned for my daughter. By that time, we were still held back by the authorities."

mid-day photojournalist Nimesh Dave, who was at the site during the rescue, said, "Shreya was eventually found four hours after the collapse. Rescuers told me she was shouting ‘mamma, mamma' from under the debris."

Laxmi Chhaya building after the collapse

Ketan added, "I remember a lot of scratches and injuries on my daughter's body. For the first time, my fears were replaced by just a little hope. Shreya was quickly taken away to the hospital."

Road to recovery

Falguni and Shreya took many months to recover, after a miraculous rescue. "They were in different hospitals for a day, but soon, we got them together. Shreya was treated for injuries. Falguni was operated on for broken limbs. It was a long road to recovery," Ketan said.

He added, "We had moved there a fortnight ago. Everything in our home was destroyed in the crash. The main door remained intact. Nonetheless, I did not lose anything, because what matters the most to me - my wife and our daughter - survived. We were all so very fortunate."

The Mehtas moved elsewhere after the crash, before moving back to their home at redeveloped Laxmi Chhaya. They have another daughter now, Naisha, 12.

Laxmi Chhaya building, after being redeveloped. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Shreya said, "I do tell my friends that I was trapped under the rubble when the old building crashed. They get very curious."

"If there is one thing that I realised after the experience is that God protected me and my daughter. It was not our time to go. Maybe, I still had something to do or fulfill over here. When He wants you to live, you will survive, no matter how dire the predicament," said Falguni, holding Shreya close to her.

The family now lives on the fifth-floor flat of the redeveloped, 18-storey Laxmi Chhaya tower.

"Laxmi Chhaya building? Jo gir gayi thi woh (the one which had collapsed)?" asked a rickshaw driver as he ferried a passenger to the spot. Notwithstanding that, it's a completely new structure, the crash has become Laxmi Chhaya's identifying marker.