Five members of a family and a fireman were injured after a portion of an under-construction four-storey building collapsed at Mehta Baba chawl in Juhu Gully, Andheri (W), late on Wednesday. Also, 10 people were trapped below the debirs, but were rescued by the fire officials.
The injured have been identified as Akbar Shaikh (60), Shamshuddin (50), Chand (34), Arif (17), Ajara (18) and fireman Vishwas Rahate (51). They were rushed to Cooper hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Rahate suffered minor injuries and has been discharged, a civic official from the disaster management cell of the BMC said.
“At 12.30am, a portion on the north side of Mehta Babu Chawl near Salami hotel in Juhu Galli came crashing down. The police and fire brigade reached the spot immediately. The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained,” said an official.
However, this incident has left locals in a state of shock and fear as the number of illegal constructions in the area is on the rise. “We do not want to comment on if the structure was illegal or unauthorised. Action will be taken if the structure is found to be illegal. However, for now our priority is to ensure that people are safe and that the debris is cleared quickly. Also, after many building collapses were reported in the city after incessant rains lashed the city a few weeks ago, the mishap has shaken the residents here. There are currently in a state of shock and panic.” the civic official said.
In a similar incident, on June 10, a three-story building collapsed on an adjoining single-storey house at the New Collector Compound, Abdul Hamid Road, in Malwani. Eight children and three adults were killed in the incident and seven others were injured.
