Building collapses in Kopar near Mumbai, residents escape unhurt

Eighteen families living in 42-year-old ground-plus-two storey Maina Vittu Niwas building in Kopar, Dombivli, around 50km from Mumbai, had a narrow escape as they

Eighteen families living in 42-year-old ground-plus-two storey Maina Vittu Niwas building in Kopar, Dombivli, around 50km from Mumbai, had a narrow escape as they managed to escape minutes before a portion of the structure collapsed around 4am on Thursday.

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The building had 15 flats, with 75 residents. The residents alerted each other and vacated the building as soon as they saw cracks.

Sushmita Nagaral, 26, who lived in the building with her parents and younger sister, said, “Every family was asleep when the building started collapsing. Initially, it developed cracks and there was a loud thud due to which residents woke up and rushed out. As soon as we left the building, a major portion of the building collapsed. Children and
senior citizens lived in that portion.”

One fire tender of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) reached the spot around 4.30am and helped the residents remove their belongings from the remaining portion of the building.

“The residents had already moved out. Our team helped them find their belongings,” said Jeevan Borade, fire officer. “As the remaining portion developed cracks, we could not pick up much of the belongings. The residents have now gone to their relatives’ place,” said Nagaral.

KDMC officials claimed the owner and residents were served a notice in June.

“We have started demolishing the remaining portion now. The building was unsafe and we had asked them to vacate it,” said Bharat Pawar, ward officer, KDMC. “We will take action against structures which are extremely dangerous with a strict approach now.”

There are 187 extremely dangerous buildings and 284 dangerous buildings in KDMC jurisdiction. The extremely dangerous buildings are more than 30 years old.

On September 21, 38 people died and 25 were injured in Jilani building collapse in Bhiwandi’s Damankar naka. After the tragedy, KDMC demolished 13 dangerous structures.