"The flame soon spread to upper floors"
On Monday morning in Mumbai, a fire erupted in a flat where 43-year-old doctor, Glory Valthaty, and her 8-year-old son Joshua were reportedly visiting relatives.
Dr Valthaty’s husband and daughter were also said to be on the trip.
According to an official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade cited by The Indian Express, the fire originated on the building’s first floor. He said:
“Heavy smoke caused by the fire reached the sixth floor as furniture and other items of the first-floor flat started burning.
“The flame soon spread to upper floors, trapping residents.”
At the beginning of October 2023, a tragic incident occurred when a fire engulfed a seven-story residential building in Mumbai’s Goregaon area.
Seven lives were lost, and over 40 individuals suffered injuries, with 30 residents successfully rescued.
Many have questioned what is the direct cause of these fires and if the public should be worried.
This latest case that claimed the lives of a mother and her son has been contained to electrical wiring and installations. However, the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Dr Valthaty was commercial director of a company called Faith Project Consultants Ltd, which is registered in Dundee.
The family were believed to have been staying in a flat owned by Dr Valthaty’s brother, former IPL cricketer Paul Valthaty.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:
“We are providing consular assistance to the family of two British nationals who have died in Mumbai.”
Joshua was a student at Kaimhill School in Aberdeen, and his headteacher, Susie Webster, expressed that he was a cherished member of his class. She said in a statement:
“It is with deepest sadness that Kaimhill School and wider community have received the shocking news of the death of Joshua and his mum, Glory.
“Joshua joined us at Kaimhill Nursery in September 2020, quickly becoming a much-loved member of his class, and well-liked across the school by all staff and pupils.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”
“We also think about Joshua’s classmates as they return to school on Monday and assure our wider community of ongoing support.”
Dr Valthaty is believed to have worked with NHS Grampian during her early anaesthesia training but left in 2018. A friend shared on social media:
“Glory was one of my best friends and a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother and doctor.”
Another post said people were “mourning the untimely loss” of the mother and her son.
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