Lift crash death toll increases to 7; two contractors booked

Police have booked the lift and labour contractors, as well as others, for causing death by negligence in a lift accident at an under-construction building in Balkum, Thane. The accident resulted in the death of seven workers, with one more worker dying from injuries on Monday. The deceased workers were from other states and were temporarily residing in Navi Mumbai. Family members of the deceased have complained about the process of claiming the bodies. The project is being executed by the Runwal Group, who have expressed their commitment to worker safety and are working with authorities to determine the cause of the accident.

Police on Monday booked the lift contractor, the labour contractor, and others for causing death by negligence even as the toll in Sunday’s lift accident at a 40-storey under-construction building in Balkum went up to seven. The project, Runwal Eirene, is being executed by Runwal Group.

Thane, India - September,11, 2023: Under construction in Thane A laborer who was injured in yesterday's elevator collapse incident in the building died today A total of seven laborers have died Relatives of deceased laborers are seen carrying dead bodies outside the mortuary at Thane Civil Hospital to take possession of the dead bodies go for bihar state ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, monday, September, 11, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo )

Family members of the deceased, who reached Thane this morning, complained that they were made to run around to claim the bodies of their loved ones.

On Sunday, six workers were killed when the shaft of a service elevator meant for labourers crashed mid-way when they were descending the building after completing waterproofing work. Teams from the fire brigade, the disaster management department, and the police rushed to the spot and rescued workers trapped in the debris. One labourer, who was severely injured, died on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Sunil Kumar Das, 21, Mahendra Choupal, 32, Rupesh Kumar Das, 21, Haroon Shaikh, 68, Mithlesh Vishwakarma, 30, Kari Das, 35, and Navin Vishwakarma, 22. They were from other states and were temporarily residing in Navi Mumbai.

Labour leader Raja Chavhan from Shramik Sanghatana said, “We had been running from the police station to Thane civil hospital to get the bodies, but with all their procedure it took a lot of time. We received the bodies in the evening, and we are helping each other to transport them to their hometowns.”

Ramesh Das, a relative of Sunil Das, said, “Our families received calls from Runwal authorities on Sunday night, informing about the death of Sunil and others. Most of them left their homes in Uttar Pradesh in September for this work. This news has shattered our families.”

S Nimbalkar, police inspector at Kapurbawdi police station, said the procedure to hand over the bodies began only after the post-mortem.

“We have booked the lift contractor, the labour contractor, and others under section 304 (2) (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 337 (whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others, shall be punished) of Indian Penal Code. We will add the names of some others in the FIR,” he said.

Chavhan, who helped the families of the seven deceased workers, said, “With the help of the police, we asked the promoter for compensation, and they transferred ₹10 lakh - ₹5 lakh to the mothers who lost their sons and ₹5 lakh to the wives who lost their husbands. The promoter also agreed to bear the cost of the transportation of the bodies and the hospital expenses.”

A Runwal Group spokesperson, however, did not confirm the compensation payment to the workers’ families.

In a statement, the project promoter, Dhruva Woollen Mills Private Limited, said, “With reference to the incident on Sunday which occurred at the under-construction site of Dhruva Wollen Mills in Balkum, we would like to reiterate our commitment to the safety and well-being of our workers.

“Rigorous steps and checks are conducted and certified by competent agencies that carry the reputation and confidence of many years of experience. The lift was last checked on August 18 when oiling, servicing, brake settings etc. were done and we received a satisfactory performance report. In addition, regular monthly maintenance of the lift has been carried out.

“We are working closely with the competent authorities to ascertain the nature and cause of the accident. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and are committed to offering full support to them,” the statement added.