Partial building collapse kills shopkeeper

htmumbai@hindustantimes

htmumbai@hindustantimes.com

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Mumbai: A 25-year-old man was killed after a portion of the first floor of a two storied commercial building collapsed in the early hours of Friday morning, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Mazid Habib Ansari who ran a garment shop in the building for last 15 years. He was asleep in the shop when some portion of the first floor of the building collapsed, trapping him in the debris.

The incident took place at Khadipar area near Shan hotel in Bhiwandi on Friday at about 3.30 am. Nizampura police officials and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot after getting the information.

Mahesh Patil, a fireman from Bhiwandi fire station said, “We received a call at around 3.50 and rushed to the spot with two fire engines within 10 minutes. By 6 am, we had pulled out Ansari’s body.”

According to Mohmmad Niyaz Shaikh, 32, a power loom worker who was on in the night shift in a factory nearby, said “I saw some portion of the first floor had collapsed on the shops on the ground floor and one man was trapped under the debris.

Nearly 35 years old, Abdullah Apartments is owned by one Mulchandchandra Shah and the locals said it was in dilapidated condition. It has 14 shops on the ground floor while seven shops on the first floor.

Ashraf Nagori, 22, a tea vendor who runs a hotel next to Ansari’s shop, said, “I was sleeping in the hotel when I woke up due to some noise. I was shocked to see a portion of the roof coming down. I ran out and managed to narrowly escape.”

Rampal Chaudhry, a local resident, said that two years ago, a fire had broken out on the first floor of the building where garments were stored and since the incident, the first floor has been vacated.

An accidental Death Report (ADR) was registered at Nizampura Police station.