Nowhere to go: 28 families evacuated from Ramabai complex

As these families resided in adjacant winds of the flat that collapsed, they were made to move out as a precautionary measure

MUMBAI: A day after the rescue effort concluded at the site of the collapsed Ramabai Apartments in Virar east, some residents milled around still in a daze while others hastened to vacate the building complex. These 28 families lived in adjacent wings, their lives potentially at risk. Now, as a precautionary measure, they have been told to move out.

Neighbours and volunteers pitched in, helping them cart away their belongings and arranging transportation for them

Even as they hauled their belongings out of their homes – the civic body will soon conduct a structural audit of these buildings – residents are still processing the tragedy that hit on Tuesday night. After losing 17 neighbours in the mishap, they are scrambling to find shelter wherever they can.

Sunil Therade is particularly distressed. A resident of the chawl adjacent to the collapsed building, he lost his home to the rescue effort. Since heavy-duty equipment and trucks couldn’t access the site, the authorities knocked down his small home to facilitate access.

“They told us they would break just one room, so we did not object as lives were at stake. But they demolished our entire house. I don’t even have clothes to take with me. I’ve borrowed these from a friend,” said Therade, pointing to a small plastic bag he was carrying.

Mangesh Nar, 47, a resident of the adjacent wing in the Ramabai Apartment complex, had been living on the second floor for the last six years. He was standing in the space outside the complex when the building came crashing down.

“I saw the building crash and, as soon as the dust settled, we rushed towards the debris to help our neighbours. I could hear cries for help. Although I had also suffered injuries, I went to help but now no one is helping us,” said Nar, whose family is among the 28 vacating the building complex.

“VVCMC (Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation) has not made any arrangements for us. Most of the affected families have nowhere to go. We will temporarily live with relatives or friends. We are going to a relative’s house nearby, for a day or two, until we find a rented flat,” said Nar.

Another resident, Ganesh Malgavkar, 35, said, “We’ve lived here for years. We bought these homes with our life savings and now, in an instant, they’ve vanished.”

On Friday, the local authorities allowed the residents to enter the wings of the apartment complex that were still standing, to take away their belongings. Some stuffed clothes and smaller items into sacks, while other hauled away furniture and other large items in pouring rain.

Neighbours and volunteers pitched in, helping them cart away their belongings and arranging transportation for them.

Sanjay Herwade, additional commissioner, VVCMC, said the civic body had made arrangements for food and water for the evacuated families and are trying to get them to a public library for temporary shelter. “We have given the gold and other belongings of the 12 families (who lived in the portion that collapsed) after they were retrieved from the rubble,” said Herwade.

State transport minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik visited the site on Friday and told the affected families he would ask for 60 flats from MHADA in Virar west to provide them temporary housing. Malgavkar, however, insisted that the government provide permanent houses. “We do not want temporary arrangements. We want permanent homes,” said Malgavkar.