3 dead, 4 injured as slab collapses in Ulhasnagar
25-yr-old structureFlooring work on 2nd floor caused crash
Three, including a two-year-old, died, while four were injured, as the flooring on the second floor (the slab of the first floor) of a private clinic, Sai Ashirwad, in Ulhasnagar collapsed, bringing down the ground floor slab on Sunday.
The building, Memsahab Apartment, in Indira Gandhi Market is a ground-plus-five-storey structure, which housed commercial establishments on the ground floor. Although not dangerous, the corporation had served the 25-year-old building a notice for structural audit a few months ago.
The deceased – Nitu Shadija, 60, Anita Morya, 30, and Priya Morya, 2 – were all patients who had come to the clinic. Priya had come to the clinic with her aunt Anita, mother Vandana, 24, and cousin Khushi Morya, 5. Vandana, who is pregnant, does not know her daughter, Priya, is dead, while Khushi has not been told of her mother, Anita’s death. Vandana and Khushi escaped with minor injuries.
The two other injured are Dr Brijlal Reejhwani, 56, and another patient Hera Khemchanani, 80. Reejhwani has been operating the clinic for the past 25 years. B Netke, deputy chief fire officer, Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, said, “The incident took place around 2pm. The flooring in a flat on the second floor was being replaced. Due to this work, the slab of the first floor collapsed. Locals rushed to the spot and rescued as many people as they could.”
The first and second floor flats were unoccupied. The victims, all residents of Ulhasnagar, were shifted to Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar. A staff member from the Central Hospital said, “All the four injured are stable and undergoing treatment.”
Achyut Hange, civic commissioner of UMC, said, “The building was not declared dangerous, although we had given notice to the residents to carry out a structural audit. We will investigate the cause of the collapse. There are around 250 buildings in the Ulhasnagar which have been declared dangerous and illegal.”