Saddam Wazir Ali Khan, 28, the last victim trapped under the debris after a landslide in Kurla’s Ashok Nagar, was recovered around 1 pm on Thursday, nearly 34 hours after the incident occurred at around 3 am on Wednesday. He was declared brought dead at Rajawadi Hospital.

Saddam Khan, who came to Mumbai from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has left behind a four-month-pregnant wife, a three-year-old child and ageing parents — a family that is so poor it cannot even pay to have his body transported back home.

The rescue operation had begun around 5 am on Wednesday. While the bodies of the other victims were recovered by Wednesday afternoon, Saddam remained trapped under the debris through the night and was finally pulled out on Thursday afternoon. The incident left eight people dead and seven injured.

Speaking to , Saddam’s cousin Nafeez Hussain Khan, 24, said the family was trying to arrange for his body to be taken to their hometown in Sultanpur.

“They all cannot come here for the funeral as it will be very expensive. We are requesting the authorities to help us with the arrangements and the cost of taking his body safely to his hometown,” Khan said.

Khan said the family was still calculating the cost of transporting the body, including by flight, but the expenses could exceed Rs 1 lakh. “We cannot afford it. It would be very kind if the administration also provides some compensation to his family because he was the only earning member,” he said.

He said Saddam’s father was unwell for the last year or two and had been staying back in the village. “Earlier he used to work here in the grocery store that Saddam was running,” Khan said.

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Saddam’s body deteriorated considerably by the time it was recovered after remaining under the debris for nearly a day and a half. “His body was not recognisable at all. It was swollen and completely covered in blood. We could identify him only from the clothes he was wearing that night. Since the incident happened, all the other bodies had been recovered by around noon on Wednesday, but Saddam remained trapped under the debris,” Khan said.

According to Khan, Saddam may have tried to save himself by moving into a room as the structure collapsed. “He was buried under a very low surface. When the incident happened, he must have tried to escape by hiding under the kothari,” he said.

Saddam had gone to the house with his friend Vikit Ramesh Yadav, who was also killed in the landslide, to celebrate the latter’s 30th birthday. Before Yadav arrived at the place, he had decorated the house with ribbons, balloons, and brought a cake for him.

“They needed a separate space because the houses in the slum are very cramped. It was Vikit’s birthday, so they wanted a separate room to celebrate. They were close friends,” Khan said.

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Saddam ran a grocery shop and lived in Ashok Nagar with his relatives, including Khan. The family has lived in the area for more than 20 years in a house their parents had set up for them.

Khan said the family had not yet finalised all arrangements to transport Saddam’s body. “A lot of people would have to come from the village, and it would take time. We will have to book a flight. We are still in contact with the authorities and are requesting them to help us,” he said.

The family had also been aware that the structure was considered unsafe. “BMC had put up a notice saying the house was unsafe, but who would have thought it would collapse that night,” Khan said.

With Saddam being the sole earning member of the family, they now seek government assistance to transport his body to Uttar Pradesh and to support his family.