When Tejas Dedhia heard from friends that a major fire had broken out near his home in Vile Parle on Tuesday night, he rushed to the spot. Having lived nearby and been involved in social work in the area, Dedhia and his friends reached the building before the fire officials.

Evacuation process

“We live close by, so we reached even before the fire officials arrived. When we got there, the smoke was already very thick. We tried to break open the door, but it was jammed because of the smoke,” Dedhia told mid-day. As the situation inside the building worsened, Dedhia and his friends began helping residents evacuate. The group first focused on elderly residents while the lift was still operational.