Human spirit always comes to the fore in times of crisis. In thewake of the building collapse at Mumbra, this was clearly evident as volunteers came forward to provide water and food to rescue personnel who were toiling hard to save as many lives as possible from the debris. Families from the opposite building, which was demolished, were also provided with a few basic food items by nearby locals who voluntarily came ahead to help.

One such samaritan, Mohammad Shaqkat Shaikh, 43, was seen distributing biscuits to the evacuated families. When SUNDAY MiD DAY asked him why he had offered help, he reminisced, “Nine years ago, when I lived in a slum in Dharavi, our home was demolished. We had no place to go.