18 killed in house collapse in south Mumbai

Eighteen people were killed and 37 others injured when an 80-year-old building in south Mumbai crumbled, report Shahkar Abidi and Bhavika Jain.

Eighteen people were killed and 37 others injured when an 80-year-old building in south Mumbai crumbled on Wednesday. Many more are feared to be under the debris as the rescue operation is still on. The injured are recuperating at the J.J. Hospital in Byculla.

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According to the police, the incident took place at around 5:30 am when parts of the second, third and the fourth floor of Datta Niwas fell on the nearby Rangari building. Datta Niwas had sixteen flats. No causality from the Rangari building has been reported.

Residents of the area claimed that a few blocks of bricks had fallen from the building structure last evening. They also claimed the building was shaking 10 days back. “Both these were the first signs of the catastrophe which was waiting to happen,” said Kamlakar Mayekar, a resident of Siddheshwar Bhavan, a building opposite to the collapsed structure.

Meanwhile, the authorities promised they would re-survey the area and thoroughly investigate the matter.