Tragedy has completely consumed a Gurugram family after 80-year-old Radheshyam Aggarwal passed away on Tuesday morning at Max Hospital in Delhi. Aggarwal, who had been battling a severe lung ailment on ventilator support since May 30, died at 11:15 AM, completely unaware that his entire immediate family had perished in a horrific blaze just days earlier.
The nightmare began on June 3 when a catastrophic fire tore through Flourish Stays, a hotel in south Delhi’s Hauz Rani area. Aggarwal’s son, Vivek Aggarwal—a chartered accountant—had rented rooms at the guest house to stay close to the hospital. Multiple relatives had travelled to the capital to support the family during the medical emergency.
The early-morning inferno trapped the occupants, killing eight family members and relatives. The victims included Radheshyam’s wife Premlata, his son Vivek, daughter-in-law Tarjani, and his two young grandchildren, Jeevisha and Variya.
The fire also claimed the lives of Vivek’s maternal uncle Ashok Goyal from Rajasthan, alongside his maternal aunt Kamla and her husband, Javri Lal.
Upon hearing the news of the septuagenarian’s death, the neighbourhood in Gurugram’s Sector 46 was plunged back into deep mourning. Residents expressed sheer disbelief at the absolute erasure of the household. “Although Vivek’s father was seriously ill, we had hoped he would recover and return home,” a devastated neighbour shared. “God has truly taken away this entire family, which is deeply saddening. What happened to them should never happen to anyone.”
With Radheshyam’s passing, the core family unit has been entirely wiped out. At the time of reporting, extended relatives and neighbours in Gurugram were still waiting for confirmation on when his body would be released by the hospital for the final cremation.
– Ends
With PTI inputs