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13 die in building collapse

Hindustan Times, Bhiwandi | By
Sep 21, 2020 11:59 PM IST

Though the cause of the accident was immediately not clear, however, Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) commissioner Pankaj Ashiya said the Jilani building in Dhamankar Naka was illegal and notices had been sent to residents to vacate.

Thirteen people, including six children, were killed, while 22 were injured and 27 still trapped under the debris after a portion of a 36-year-old ground-plus-three storey residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi, around 35km from Mumbai, at around 3.30am on Monday, officials said.

Damaged rooms of a building are seen after a portion of a three-storey residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi on the outskirts of Mumbai.(REUTERS)
Damaged rooms of a building are seen after a portion of a three-storey residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi on the outskirts of Mumbai.(REUTERS)

Though the cause of the accident was immediately not clear, however, Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) commissioner Pankaj Ashiya said the Jilani building in Dhamankar Naka was illegal and notices had been sent to residents to vacate.

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At the time of going to press, rescue operations were still going on.

According to the BNCMC, 24 of the total 48 flats of the building collapsed, while the portion that did not collapse had a power loom on the ground floor. The injured were rushed to the Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) hospital. A seven-year- old boy, Ayaan Shaikh Ibrahim, who was trapped for nine hours along with his family of five, escaped with no injuries.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) regional disaster management cell, the fire brigade and the disaster cell of BNCMC were part of the rescue operations, along with locals.

“As soon as the incident took place, residents living near the area rushed to the spot and started pulling people from under the rubble. It was painful to hear people calling out for help. My relatives lived in this building,” said Khalid Abdullah Khan, 28, who lived in the building one year ago but has now shifted to another building nearby.

Before the NDRF team reached the spot, 21 people were rescued by locals and the Bhiwandi and Thane rescue teams.

Ashish Kumar, deputy commandant of NDRF, said, “Since the incident took place at a time when most residents were asleep, we emphasised on searching bedrooms and living rooms. There was also a fear that the remaining portion of the building might collapse as it was also tilting. We focused on canine search operations as we could not use equipment, fearing vibrations that could lead to collapse of the remaining portion.” As a precautionary measure, power supply to the area has been snapped.

“As soon as the incident took place, I received a call and alerted the fire brigade team to reach the spot. Around 5.30am, the NDRF team took over rescue operations and managed to pull out residents from under the debris,” said Ashiya.

Ashiya claimed that the building was built in 1984 during the Gram Panchayat rule and hence it is an illegal structure.

“The building is illegal and also very old and we have served notices to the residents and owner to vacate it. If any sort of negligence has led to the incident, legal action will be taken,” he added.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray postponed e-opening of the Mankoli flyover in suburban Mumbai on Monday after receiving the news of the incident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as President Ram Nath Kovind offered their condolences to the bereaved families.“Saddened by the building collapse in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for a quick recovery of those injured. Rescue operations are underway and all possible assistance is being provided to the affected,” PM Modi tweeted.

In a statement issued by the Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde, a compensation of Rs5 lakhs will be given to the victim’s kin.

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