In Mumbai: Three dead in septic tank collapse at Mankhurd slum

Three people died after the septic tank of a common toilet collapsed in the slums of Mandala in Mankhurd. The incident took place around 7.40pm on Friday at Lohar Chawl in Indira Nagar at Mandala, in Mankhurd

Three people died after the septic tank of a common toilet collapsed in the slums of Mandala in Mankhurd. The incident took place around 7.40pm on Friday at Lohar Chawl in Indira Nagar at Mandala, Mankhurd.

Debris from the collapse. (Bachchan Kumar)

The victims have been identified as Harish Tikedar, 42, Dinesh Shah, 40, and Mohammed Shabbir Ansari,45. Locals said that five others were also injured in the incident. They were discharged from Rajawadi by afternoon.

According to civic officials, the public toilet was constructed in 2007 by the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) and was being maintained by a local non-government organisation.

Officials from the disaster management department of BMC said that the victims were rushed to the civic-run Rajawadi hospital. Atique Ansari, a resident of Mandala who also works as a social worker, said that around 12-13 people who were stuck under the debris were rescued by the locals and the fire brigade.

Ansari said, “Though there is a newly constructed public toilet nearby, it is closed. This is why people visit the toilet in the mornings. The situation was horrible. We saw people holding onto doors and the pipes to save themselves.”