Building marked ‘dangerous’ collapses in Bhiwandi, killing infant and woman, injuring five others
According to police officials, the road-facing façade of the building has a ground floor and two storeys, with power loom units located on the ground floor, while the rear side had a ground-plus-one-storeyed structure. While the front portion and power loom units are safe, the rear portion collapsed shortly after midnight, trapping people under the debris for over an hour
BHIWANDI: A woman and an eight-month-old baby girl were killed and five other family members suffered injuries when part of a one-storied residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi in the early hours of Sunday at Gauri Pada near Dhobi Talao, Dargah Road. The building had been identified as dangerous in 2021.
The deceased have been identified as Ujhama Atif Momim, 40, and Taslima Mousar Momin, 8 months, while the injured are Abdul Latif Momin, 65, Farzana Abdul Latif Momin, 50, Bushra Atif Momin, 32, Adima Atif Momin, 7, and Urusha Atif Momin, 3. Ujhama and Taslima were declared dead before arrival at a private hospital, while the injured are being treated there, the police said.
According to police officials, the road-facing façade of the building has a ground floor and two storeys, with power loom units located on the ground floor, while the rear side had a ground-plus-one-storeyed structure. While the front portion and power loom units are safe, the rear portion collapsed shortly after midnight, trapping people under the debris for over an hour.
The Bhiwandi fire brigade, the Thane Disaster Relief Force (TDRF), the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) and the local police reached the spot and started rescue operations. By 2 am, they had pulled out four people from the debris and rescued three more later.
Speaking to HT at the hospital, survivor Bushra Atif Momin said, “I and my daughters Urusha and Adima had come to my mother’s house on Saturday to visit a newborn in the family. I woke up when the building façade suddenly collapsed and I found myself trapped under a cupboard. My daughter was screaming for help, but I was unable to help her. After nearly two hours, they managed to reach us and pulled both of us out. I am very thankful to Allah that my daughters escaped with minor injuries.”
Another injured person, Abdul Latif Momin, said, “My family lives here. We were sleeping when the incident occurred. My wife and I suffered head injuries.”
Shakil Ansari, corporator in the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), said he had just finished dinner and was sitting outside his house when he heard a loud sound and alerted the locals. “It sounded like a bomb blast,” he said. “I rushed to the spot and found that the rear part of the building had collapsed. We informed the fire brigade and police and started rescuing people. With the help of locals, I pulled out three people from the debris and took them to a nearby hospital for treatment.”
Yasin Tadvi, chief officer in the RDMC, said that they, along with TDRF personnel, rushed to the spot with three fire engines from the Bhiwandi fire brigade and began the rescue operation. “It went on till 4 am, till we had made sure no one else was trapped in the debris,” he said.
Milind Palsule, PRO, BNCMC said the building was a 35-year-old structure which had been identified as a dangerous structure. “We issued a notice in 2021 to residents, but they did not pay heed,” he said. “We have evacuated them all now. They have moved to their relatives’ homes.” Palsule added that BNCMC commissioner Ajay Vaidya had issued orders to set up an investigation committee led by additional municipal commissioner Vitthal Dhake to probe the incident and submit a report in two weeks.
