AMN / MUMBAI
At least ten persons were killed after a four-storey residential building collapsed in south Mumbai’s congested Dongri area this morning.
BMC officials said nine others were also injured. The rescue operation to bring out as many as 40 people trapped inside the rubble is currently in progress with the help of NDRF and Mumbai Fire Brigade.
Director General of NDRF, SN Pradhan said, NDRF have so far rescued seven persons.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the building was around 100 years old — it was not in the list of dilapidated structures and was given to a developer for redevelopment. Between 10 and 15 families lived in the building, he added.
The incident once again exposed the creaking infrastructure of India’s financial capital. Last month, at least 29 people were killed and 70 injured after a compound wall collapsed on a slum in suburban Malad.
Civic officials said the four-storey residential Kesarbai building, in a maze of congested lanes and houses, came down shortly before noon. The building housed an eatery on the ground floor and was located in a bustling lane off Tandel Street.
The difficult access to the site prevented ambulances and earth-movers from being deployed and rescue workers, including residents, used their bare hands to remove concrete chunks, door frames and household items. Ambulances had to be parked 50 metres away.
Scores of local residents joined in the effort, forming a human chain to help remove the debris brick by brick and pick up slabs of concrete to locate those buried in the predominantly Muslim area.
The rescue work, hampered by narrow lanes, was further hindered by politicians, including ministers and legislators, making a beeline for the site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the building collapse.
In a tweet, Mr Modi said the incident is very anguishing. He hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.
#BuildingCollapsed #Mumbai
Rescue operation is underway at the incident site.
One Live Victim rescued by NDRF so far. Ops Continue…@satyaprad1 pic.twitter.com/0GhWrBHYcp— NDRF (@NDRFHQ) July 16, 2019