10 dead in Mumbai building collapse

Rescue workers use an excavator to scour through the debris of a collapsed residential building in Mumbra, in Thane district, on the outskirts of Mumbai on June 21.

The accident occurred around 2am on Friday, when the 35-year-old Shakuntala building suddenly came crashing down, catching sleeping occupants unaware, Inspector N. D. Chavan of Thane police said. At least 23 people were rescued alive, Chavan said.

The dead children are Mahek Punjabi (two months old), Hamja Shaikh (four months), Hasina Maqdoom Shaikh (3), Taslima Karim Shaikh (3), Shabbir Karim Shaikh (6) and Rohan Farooqui (7).

The adults who died are Aliya Maqdoom Shaikh (22), Farid karim Shaikh (28), Karim Abdul Shaikh and Maqdoom Shaikh (both 32).

Chavan said that by Friday evening, most victims had been rescued.

There are no more victims feared trapped under the debris, he said.

Rescue workers were using hand-held wire cutters and excavators to search for survivors through the rubble.

District officials, including Mayor Harishchandra Patil, acting Municipal Commissioner Shyamsunder Patil, Thane District Collector P. Velrasu, Police Commissioner K.P. Raghuvanshi and others supervised the relief and rescue operations.

Mumbra Mayor Harishchandra Patil said the civic body will soon make arrangements to shift people from dilapidated and dangerous buildings to new rental houses.

'We are finalising the rent to be charged, which should be in the range of Rs1,500 per month, so that occupants can be shifted out of dangerous buildings,' Patil told reporters.

This is the second major building collapse tragedy in the Mumbai metropolitan region in the past 10 days.

On June 10, an old four-storeyed building collapsed at Mahim, central Mumbai, killing 10 and injuring another six.

Nearly three months ago, Thane's Mumbra district witnessed the state's worst-ever building crash, which left 75 dead and 60 injured.

The incident occurred April 4 at Shilphata, near this township, around 40 km from Mumbai.

Police said an investigation was under way into the cause of the incident.

Police said 20 people had been rescued from under the debris on Friday, while local reports said the three-storey building, built in 1979, was home to nine families.

The spokesman, Malvi, said monsoon rains may have triggered the collapse but “we can’t say that’s the only reason”.