Six workers killed, one critical after lift crashes in Thane housing project

According to Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) officials, the building was completed and the waterproofing work was under way on the roof. The accident happened at around 6.15 pm when the workers, after completing the waterproofing, were coming down in the elevator. After the crash, the fire brigade, disaster management team and the police rushed to the spot.

Thane: Six workers were killed and one seriously injured when the shaft of an elevator broke on the 16th floor of a 40-storey under-construction building in Runwal Eirene project in Balkum, Thane West.

After the crash, the fire brigade, disaster management team and the police rushed to the spot. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

According to Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) officials, the building was completed and the waterproofing work was under way on the roof. The accident happened at around 6.15 pm when the workers, after completing the waterproofing, were coming down in the elevator. After the crash, the fire brigade, disaster management team and the police rushed to the spot.

RDMC chief officer Yasin Tadavi said, “The rope of the elevator broke on the 16th floor when the workers were descending, leading to the lift crashing into the basement of the underground parking lot. Seven workers got trapped inside, and were removed from the debris by the rescue team. Six of them have died and one is in the Nipun multispecialty hospital in Panchpakhadi in a critical condition.”

The injured man was identified as Sunil Kumar Das, 21. The deceased are Mahendra Choupal, 32, Rupesh Kumar Das, 21, Haroon Shaikh, 68, Mithlesh Vishwakarma, 30, Kari Das, 35, and Navin Vishwakarma, 22, all residents of Navi Mumbai. Shaikh, a resident of Kurla, was the lift operator.

Kapurbawdi police officials were at the site of the accident. S Nimbalkar, a police inspector, said that the initial inquiry had been completed and an accidental death report (ADR) filed in the matter. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for a post-mortem,” he said. “Their families have been informed but are yet to reach. The preliminary probe revealed that there was negligence since the lift crashed from the 40th floor, killing people. The investigations are on and those responsible will be booked.”

However, the statement by Dhruva Woollen Mills Pvt Ltd, the project promoter and part of the Runwal Group, said the elevator had collapsed from the 13th floor. “An unfortunate incident happened at 6.15 pm today at our under-construction site in Balkum Thane. A lift carrying seven workers from the 40th floor suddenly collapsed from the 13th floor,” the statement said. “The said elevator had been under continuous surveillance and is serviced under an existing annual maintenance contract. The last proactive maintenance was done on August 23 where due oiling, servicing, lift room check-up, brake settings, car liner checking and up-on limit switch checking was satisfactorily done by the vendor. The assessment report states the good condition of the lift.”

The statement added, “We are cooperating with the police and other departments in the inquiry proceedings. We have extended all rescue and support operations at the site and are investigating the incident at our end as well with our team of experts.”

Sanjay Bhoir, local resident and MNS leader, who visited the spot, said it was painful to witness the workers’ bodies. “I saw the elevator certificate which was given just two days ago, vouching for its good condition,” he said. “If the lift crashed two days later, questions arise on the certification itself. There is definitely some negligence in the case.”

Runwal Eirene is a large residential project with four buildings approved up to the 42th floor and seven buildings with 36 floors, according to information on the MahaRERA portal. The project completion date of October 2021 was revised to June 30, 2025.

A spate of lift collapses have been reported in Mumbai in recent months. In June this year, 12 people were injured after a passenger lift operating at Lower Parel’s Trade World building collapsed in a 16-storeyed commercial building situated in the Kamala Mills compound. Last month, a car parking elevator crashed from the 11th floor of a 21-storey residential building in Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai, but no injury was reported.