Two slabs collapse crush three

Three people died in separate incidents of slab collapse in the city on Sunday, reports Megha Sood.

Three people died in separate incidents of slab collapse in the city on Sunday.

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Two labourers were crushed under an under-construction building at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in the morning and a 42-year-old woman died when the ceiling of her Nallasopara building caved in in the evening.

The Bandra police have arrested Ghanshyam Chedam, project manager for VSNL’s under-construction corporate office, for the deaths of Jay Mangal Havaldar (25) and Mumtaz Kamal Mulla (31). He will be booked for causing death due to negligence.

Chief Fire Officer Anil Sawant said it appeared that the “propping of the structure was faulty and that is why it fell”.

Havaldar, Mulla and three others were working on the second level of VSNL’s under-construction corporate office at around 9:25 am when the slab fell, according to fire brigade officials. Three labourers emerged with minor injuries but Havaldar and Mulla were trapped.

Fifty fire fighters, six fire engines, two ambulances, two rescue vans and an ultra pump (water pump) were involved in the rescue operation.

Senior Police Inspector Rolphi Pereira said the contractor and site engineer were probably not at the site as it was a Sunday. “An FIR against the site engineer and contractor is likely,” said Pereira.

VSNL, a communications company that provides Internet services, said in a press statement that an emergency rescue operation was undertaken but “two of the workers didn’t survive. We regret the loss of life and express our deep condolences to the families”.

Nearly 11 hours later, Sakita Dilip Jain died when the topmost ceiling of her building, Atma Vallabh, in Nallasopara crashed at 8.15 pm.

Two others who were on the third floor passage of the 40-year-old building were severely injured and admitted to a hospital. All the residents of the three-storied building, said to be dilapidated, were evacuated.