71-year-old woman dies in house collapse in Vasai amid heavy rain

MUMBAI: Neighbours heard a loud crash on Tuesday evening and rushed to check on 71-year-old Shashikala Arun Patil, only to find the roof of her old house had collapsed amid heavy rain

MUMBAI: Neighbours heard a loud crash on Tuesday evening and rushed to check on 71-year-old Shashikala Arun Patil, only to find the roof of her old house had collapsed amid heavy rain. Patil had been trapped under the debris. Rescuers pulled her out and rushed her to hospital, but she died early on Wednesday.

The incident took place in the Kavdi Bagh area of Rameedi in Vasai West, which witnessed heavy rainfall throughout Tuesday. According to fire brigade officials, the house suddenly collapsed in the evening, trapping Patil underneath.

Personnel from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation’s Tamatalao fire station reached the spot after receiving the alert. The rescue team used wood-cutting machines and iron crowbars to clear the debris and extricate Patil.

“Using wood-cutting machines and iron crowbars, the rescue team successfully extricated her from the rubble,” said Nandkumar Digambar Shingre, a fire official.

Patil was rushed to the civic-run Sir D M Petit Hospital in Vasai-Virar for treatment. Doctors later declared that she had succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.

Her 45-year-old son, who works in Mumbai, was away from home when the house collapsed. It was neighbours who heard the noise and alerted the emergency services.

The Vasai police have registered an accidental death case and are investigating the incident. They are also looking into whether any negligence led to the collapse.