SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified the victims of a deadly South Sacramento apartment fire as 43-year-old Nilesh Naavya and 9-year-old Nivisha Naavya from Sacramento.
ABC10 spoke with the leader of a nearby Hindu temple the family attended. Jagat Guru Swami Ji says he knows the family, and it was a father and his young daughter who died in the fire at the Stonegate Apartments on Mack Road.
Swami Ji and his family went to the apartment Tuesday. They were saddened to see the ash-covered roof and charred building pieces remaining after the fire.
"Seeing this is really, really heartbreaking," he said. “Knowing who they were, especially the baby, it's very, very painful."
Sacramento Fire Department said a crew noticed smoke coming from the building when they were out at a medical call Monday. They found heavy fire coming out of the living room, which also spread to the neighboring apartment causing minor damage.
"The room that they were located in did not have a window to get out, just because of how that apartment was built," said Captain Justin Sylvia. "It appears that they were just trying to get to anywhere where there wasn't smoke or fire."
The two didn't make it. The mother was not home at the time and was not hurt in the fire.
Swami Ji says his family is going to see the mother and will offer her support during this difficult time. He is left with many questions about what happened.
The Sacramento Fire Department says the fire appears to be accidental. At this time, the exact cause of the fire is unknown.
