Thaindian News

Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) Baramati, a small town of Pune district Friday fell into a deep glum as it mourned the death of two residents - Umesh Potekar and Mahesh Gogle - who were killed in the fire that gutted four floors of the state secretariat here.

Potekar and Gogle had come to Mumbai Wednesday to meet Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. However, when they could not meet him Wednesday, they extended their stay and met Pawar Thursday, a Baramati resident told reporters.

Potekar was the director of Baramati Co-operative Bank, while Gogle was the vice president of Baramati Merchants’ Association. Both were childhood friends and close to the Pawar family.

“The entire town has observed a voluntary shutdown to express their solidarity to the families of those killed in the Mantralaya fire. Both Potekar and Gogle were respectable people of the town and their deaths are a loss for us,” a member of Baramati Merchants’ Association said.

The third victim, Shivaji Korde, was the vice president of NCP Akola unit. He had also met Ajit Pawar Thursday. However, an asthamatic Korde could not escape fire as he tried brave the flames and the smoke, but fell unconscious and eventually died.

Korde’s body was also brought to the district headquarters of Akola and cremated there.

The identities of two other victims remained unclear as their bodies were charred beyond recognition. However, officials said that they are likely to be those of Mohan More and Tukaram More, both chowkidars (watchmen) in the Chief Minister’s office at the secretariat. Their bodies were recovered outside the chief minister’s chamber on the sixth floor.

They had gone missing since the fire engulfed the sixth floor. Their bodies will be handed over to their respective families after they are identified.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Maharashtra K. Sankaranarayanan Friday expressed grief over the loss of life in the devastating fire. He also expressed confidence that the state government would resume the normal business of government at the earliest.

“My heart goes out to the victims of the devastating fire that engulfed three stories in Mantralaya and their families yesterday. The damage caused by the fire is immeasurable, but I have no doubt in my mind that the State Government will resume its normal business of the government at the earliest,” Sankaranarayanan said.