Death toll rises to 28 at Borivali
A portion of the 20-year-old building in the western suburb of Borivali had collapsed on Wednesday.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: The death toll in the partial collapse of a residential building in Borivali has risen to 28 on Thursday as rescue workers continued to extricate those trapped under rubble.
A portion of the 20-year-old Laxmi Chhaya building at Babhai Naka in the western suburb of Borivali had collapsed on Wednesday. Nearly 24 hours after the incident, the rescue workers have managed to clear only a part of the debris.
Seventeen people have been rescued with multiple injuries and many more are still feared trapped under the rubble, the police said. The dead included eight men, 13 women and five children, the police added. The injured are being treated at the nearby Bhagwati Hospital.
The rescue operation continued throughout Wednesday night with workers taking due care to prevent any harm to those still to be extricated, fire service officials said. “Many are feared trapped under the debris, but there is no definite number on that and rescue efforts could go on for up to two more days,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the residents of the ill-fated building have blamed unauthorised construction on the ground floor where a few jewellery stores and a medical clinic were located.
The jewellery shop owner, Sanjiv Hastimal Jain, came under attack from the angry crowd for removing an important pillar during the course of renovating his shop. This, according to residents, may have weakened the structure and finally led to the collapse. Jain, according to information available, has lost his parents in the accident.
A large number of anxious relatives and friends of the victims gathered at Bhagwati Hospital to get some news about their loved ones. One of them, Jayesh Mehta, said three of his relatives were brought to the hospital, but were declared dead on arrival. “My sister-in-law is still trapped, and we are hoping that she will be removed safely,” he hoped.
A steady stream of political activists visited the hospital to meet the victims and their kith and kin. Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul last evening had said over 60 people could be trapped under the rubble and the civic body suspected that the collapse occurred due to major structural changes undertaken by a jewellery shop owner on the ground floor.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government said that it would make structural audit compulsory for all buildings in the state beyond ten years. it also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the building collapse.
A portion of the 20-year-old Laxmi Chhaya building at Babhai Naka in the western suburb of Borivali had collapsed on Wednesday. Nearly 24 hours after the incident, the rescue workers have managed to clear only a part of the debris.
Seventeen people have been rescued with multiple injuries and many more are still feared trapped under the rubble, the police said. The dead included eight men, 13 women and five children, the police added. The injured are being treated at the nearby Bhagwati Hospital.
The rescue operation continued throughout Wednesday night with workers taking due care to prevent any harm to those still to be extricated, fire service officials said. “Many are feared trapped under the debris, but there is no definite number on that and rescue efforts could go on for up to two more days,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the residents of the ill-fated building have blamed unauthorised construction on the ground floor where a few jewellery stores and a medical clinic were located.
The jewellery shop owner, Sanjiv Hastimal Jain, came under attack from the angry crowd for removing an important pillar during the course of renovating his shop. This, according to residents, may have weakened the structure and finally led to the collapse. Jain, according to information available, has lost his parents in the accident.
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A large number of anxious relatives and friends of the victims gathered at Bhagwati Hospital to get some news about their loved ones. One of them, Jayesh Mehta, said three of his relatives were brought to the hospital, but were declared dead on arrival. “My sister-in-law is still trapped, and we are hoping that she will be removed safely,” he hoped.
A steady stream of political activists visited the hospital to meet the victims and their kith and kin. Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul last evening had said over 60 people could be trapped under the rubble and the civic body suspected that the collapse occurred due to major structural changes undertaken by a jewellery shop owner on the ground floor.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government said that it would make structural audit compulsory for all buildings in the state beyond ten years. it also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the building collapse.
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