One person died after three houses in a chawl located at Dahisar, a western suburb of Mumbai, collapsed on Thursday evening, civic officials said. The incident occurred at Lokhandi Chawl in Shivaji Nagar area of Dahisar east around 6.36 pm, they said. On being alerted, the personnel of fire brigade and other agencies rushed to the spot, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said.
One person was rescued from the spot and rushed to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, a fire brigade official said. “However, doctors at the hospital declared that person, 26-year-old Pradyumna Saroj, dead before admission,” he said. Further details about the incident are awaited.
This is the second incident of house collapse in Mumbai in the past 24 hours and third this week. At least 12 people, including eight children, were killed and seven others injured after two floors of a three-storey residential building collapsed on an adjoining single-storey house in Malwani in suburban Mumbai late on Wednesday night.
The incident took place around 11.15 pm on Wednesday, when Mumbai experienced heavy rains throughout the day, at the New Collector Compound on Abdul Hamid Road in the Malwani area of suburban Malad, the officials said.
The ill-fated building was constructed illegally and had suffered damage in cyclone Tauktae, which passed close to the Mumbai coast last month, police said, adding its contractor has been arrested on culpable homicide charge.The Maharashtra government announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives in the house collapse, while the Centre will give an additional Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to them.
As per the BMC, the collapsed building was located on collector’s land and its owner got permission from the collector’s office while constructing a permanent structure. However, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil told reporters that the building was constructed illegally and had serious structural faults.
During cyclone Tauktae last month, the building suffered certain damages, he said, adding Wednesday’s incident could have been averted if proper precautions had been taken.
An FIR under IPC sections 304 (2) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) , 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) was registered against the building contractor, Ramzan Nabi Shaikh, its owner Rafique Siddiqui (who lost nine members of his family) and others, the police said.
Contractor Ramzan Shaikh (34), a resident of Malwani, was picked up by police after the incident for questioning and later placed under arrest, said Dilip Sawant, Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of lives in the building collapse and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each for the next of kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. In a condolence message from the prime minister, his office tweeted, “Pained by the loss of lives due to the collapse of a structure in Malad West, Mumbai. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest.” A sum of Rs 50,000 would be provided to each of the injured, Modi said.
The Maharashtra government separately announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. It also said that the medical expenses of the injured will be borne by the government.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here
This article includes sponsored content. The views expressed are those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our publication.