Laxmi Chhaya collapse 2007: Buried toddler now all of 18

On this day in 2007 the Mehta family witnessed two ldquomiraculousrdquo 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 threeyearold and her mother While the mother was pulled out two hours after the collapse rescuers dug out Shreya Mehta who is now 18yearold after four hours of constant effortsAlso read Kurla building collapse At least 19 dead four including 17yearold admitted to Rajawadi HospitalShreya Mehta now 18 was 3 when Laxmi Chhaya collapsed in 2007Twentynine people lost their lives when the A wing caved in around 615 pm The Mehtas lived on a thirdfloor flat ldquoJuly 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 contextrdquo Shreya explained ldquoWe would all like to forget that dayrdquo said her father Ketan Mehta 48lsquoEverything went blackrsquoldquoTry as I might July 18 2007 will stay with me foreverrdquo said homemaker Falguni Mehta Shreyarsquos mother ldquoI 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 blackrdquo Falguni and Shreya were buried in the rubbleShreya listened as her mother recalled ldquoI did not have the time to comprehend what had happened I just knew I was under debris and started calling her namerdquo Shreya answered a couple of times ldquoI 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 dierdquo she addedRacing heartKetan a chartered accountant CA said ldquoI 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 policerdquoShreya with her mother Falguni and father Ketan PicNimesh DaveFalguni said ldquoI 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 Shreyarsquos voiceldquoThen 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 stretcherrdquo recalled Falguni who is now 46Falguni had broken her left leg and right arm ldquoI 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 itrdquo she said Before being whisked away to a hospital she told the rescuers ldquoto find my girlrdquoKetan said ldquoI saw my wife being wheeled away and I now yearned for my daughter By that time we were still held back by the authoritiesrdquomidday photojournalist Nimesh Dave who was at the site during the rescue said ldquoShreya was eventually found four hours after the collapse Rescuers told me she was shouting lsquomamma mammarsquo from under the debrisrdquoLaxmi Chhaya building after the collapseKetan added ldquoI remember a lot of scratches and injuries on my daughterrsquos body For the first time my fears were replaced by just a little hope Shreya was quickly taken away to the hospitalrdquoRoad to recoveryFalguni and Shreya took many months to recover after a miraculous rescue ldquoThey 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 recoveryrdquo Ketan saidHe added ldquoWe 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 memdashmy wife and our daughtermdashsurvived We were all so very fortunaterdquoThe Mehtas moved elsewhere after the crash before moving back to their home at redeveloped Laxmi Chhaya They have another daughter now Naisha 12Laxmi Chhaya building after being redeveloped PicNimesh DaveShreya said ldquoI do tell my friends that I was trapped under the rubble when the old building crashed They get very curiousrdquoldquoIf 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 predicamentrdquo said Falguni holding Shreya close to herThe family now lives on the fifthfloor flat of the redeveloped 18storey Laxmi Chhaya towerldquoLaxmi Chhaya building Jo gir gayi thi woh the one which had collapsedrdquo asked a rickshaw driver as he ferried a passenger to the spot Notwithstanding that itrsquos a completely new structure the crash has become Laxmi Chhayarsquos identifying marker