Six killed, one injured in Mankhurd chawl collapse amid heavy rain in Mumbai; rescue ops underway

A three-storey chawl (row tenement) collapsed in Mumbai's Mankhurd area amid heavy rains on Sunday night, causing six deaths and leaving one person injured.

One person is feared trapped under the debris, and a multi-agency operation, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), is underway to locate him, officials told PTI.

As per officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), four women and a man were "brought dead" to the civic-run Shatabdi Hospital, while another man was declared dead at Rajawadi Hospital in Mumbai. One injured man is currently being treated at the BMC-run Rajawadi, they said.


Also read: Mumbai-Pune train services suspended as heavy rain triggers landslides in Karjat-Lonavala section

The tragic incident occurred at Chawl No 5 in Janta Nagar, behind Hanuman Mandir, in the Mandala locality at around 8.30 pm.

According to preliminary information, two to three tenements forming part of the three-storey structure caved in, prompting a rescue operation by personnel from Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, BMC ward office and '108' ambulance services.

The officials informed PTI that authorities are conducting a search and rescue operation to pull out a person feared trapped under the debris and a team from the NDRF had also arrived at the scene last night.

Local BJP corporator Navnath Ban said the structure collapsed onto an adjoining hut on the collector's land. The rescue operation is being hampered by heavy rains in Mumbai, he added.

Speaking on the incident, NDRF Assistant Commandant Sarang Kurve said to ANI, "We received information from the BMC control room at 9:30 PM; our Andheri team arrived within about 35 minutes, and our Kurla team reached the site in roughly 20 to 25 minutes. There is no one injured here right now."

"All six victims have been extradited and have been admitted to the nearby hospital. Around 45 of our rescuers are present here, and they are continuously carrying out the rescue operation. The structure is complex, and the weather conditions were working against us; however, our rescuers are well-trained to handle such situations, and we are continuously working to complete the operation," Kurve added.

Track live updates of Mumbai rains, train cancellations here

CM Fadnavis announces ex-gratia

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the loss of six lives in a building collapse incident in Mumbai's Mankhurd area and announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each deceased.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade highlighted the illegal nature of the construction in Mankhurd and the recurring problem of unauthorized buildings in the area.

"This was a three-storey building and it was completely illegal. There was a godown as well... The upper floors fell directly onto the neighboring house where a family was living... It was a horrific incident that took place around 8:30 AM... We tried to rescue them, but unfortunately, no one survived," Tawade said.

She further pointed out the administrative challenges in curbing such constructions in Mankhurd. "The situation here is that the Collector issues notices to those who build illegally and even demolishes the structures, but the same thing happens again 10-15 days later. The illegal houses are rebuilt immediately. This is the ongoing situation in Mankhurd," the Mayor added.

With inputs from agencies