A timely decision to vacate a Borivali building just two hours before the dilapidated four-storey structure came crashing down saved the lives of 20 residents on Friday.
The building, Gitanjali, located in Sai Baba Nagar in Borivali (West), collapsed in the afternoon. There was no one in the structure at that time, civic officials confirmed. The BMC had declared ‘C’ wing of the 45year-old building ‘dangerous’ in 2020.
“The residents challenged the civic order before the Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) which also declared the structure dilapidated. But the residents got a stay from the high court." said Nivrutti Gondhali, assistant municipal commissioner of the RCentral ward.
Three families with 20 members living in the building left the premises around 10:30 am on Friday. “After they felt vibrations, the residents left, hence no one was there at the time of the incident,” Gondhali added.
Around 12:40 pm the building came crashing down. The fire brigade, police and R-Central officials rushed on the spot. No one was trapped in the debris.
"The three other wings of the building are also in a dangerous state,” Gondhali said. “To avoid any further incident we have started vacating all 75 residents of the wings and will demolish them.”
The BMC has already disconnected the water and power supply of the wings. The corporation will provide them temporary accommodation in civic-run schools.
“No FIR has been registered in this case. The building was a dilapidated one and yet tenants were residing in it,” said Senior Inspector Ninad Sawant of the Borivali police station.
