Slab collapse in Malad bldg lands third floor couple on ground floor

The slab collapse has led to a deep crack in the building, rendering it uninhabitable. Soon after the incident occurred, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swung into action and asked residents to vacate the building

Mumbai: In an unforeseen incident, a Malad couple, sound asleep in their third floor flat, woke up in the early hours of Wednesday with a startle as a part of their bedroom floor collapsed to plummet them straight on the ground floor. Fortunately, there were no occupants in the bedrooms of the first and second floors below the damaged flat at the time, while the kitchen space in that vertical order on the ground floor was also empty.

Two persons injured after a slab collapsed and came crashing down from the 3rd floor till the ground floor in Anurag CHS, Liberty Garden, at Malad West on Wednesday. Fortunately, there were no occupants in the bedrooms of the first and second floors below the damaged flat at the time, while the kitchen space in that vertical order on the ground floor was also empty. (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

The incident occurred at Anurag CHS, a ground plus four storey building, at Mehta Industrial Estate, near Liberty Garden, in Malad (West) at 5:30 am. Miraculously, residents of the flat, Nupa (50) and her husband Jatin Parikh (58), escaped without any grave injury.

Fire brigade officers arrived in time and admitted the couple to Thunga Hospital in the suburb. While Nupa reportedly suffered minor injuries, Jatin was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) as he was in a state of shock. The medical superintendent of the hospital confirmed that both patients were stable and recovering. “Generally, when someone falls from such a height, they do end up with multiple fractures. It’s a miracle that they have come out unscathed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the slab collapse has led to a deep crack in the building, rendering it uninhabitable. Soon after the incident occurred, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swung into action and asked residents to vacate the building.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner, P (North) ward said, “While no casualties were reported, apart from the two who were hospitalised, the building is being evacuated. The slab collapse in the bedroom has resulted in a vertical crack in the building, and we have to demolish it immediately.”

Incidentally, the building was not put in the C-1 category, warranting an immediate evacuation. In fact, it was recently repaired under C2A category, warranting evacuation in the near future for structural repairs.

The civic body’s order for immediate evacuation led to anxiety and chaos among the 20 families who reside here. In no time, they were forced to leave their homes, taking along very few essentials, besides scouting for new homes at a short notice. The civic body asked them to leave by 4pm.

Movers and packers were summoned while fire brigade officers arrived to help hassled citizens enter their flats one at a time to take their belongings by turn.

Varsha Tulaskar, a second-floor resident, said her family was in deep sleep when the incident occurred. “It took us some time to register what had actually occurred. We had to vacate our home. I am going to my relative’s place,” she said. Her first priority was to pull out important documents and the family jewellery. They then focussed on essentials – the television set, refrigerator, clothes, children’s schoolbooks, and kitchen essentials. “We are now emptying the whole house along with the furniture,” added Tulaskar.

The residents arranged to keep all their belongings on the terrace of a bungalow nearby, as they went looking for new homes to rent.

While the secretary of the housing society, Govind Samant, was beside himself worrying about the residents and helping them find accommodation, his wife Ragini, from the first floor, said that the family is looking to move into a rented accommodation. “The building was 45 years old and in good condition. It has gone for redevelopment and people were already searching for flats. There are seven blocks on rent while the remaining are on ownership,” she said.

Fourth floor resident Roshni Mahadik had a lucky escape as she had put up at her mother’s place in Andheri. “The building was not in such a good shape and there were discussions to have it redeveloped,” she said.

A civic official from P (North) ward confirmed this, adding, “We will disconnect electricity and gas connections temporarily, and appoint a contractor for immediate demolition within three days.”