Building Collapses At Ghatkopar, Death Toll Mounts To 17:- The death toll in the Ghatkopar building collapse on Wednesday rose to 17, reported a civic official.
During the overnight search and rescue operations, five more bodies were pulled out from the rubble of the four-storey building in Mumbai.
An official of the disaster management unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said, “Our rescue team along with the fire brigade and NDRF jawans extricated 28 people from the debris out which 17 people have been declared dead while 11 injured have been admitted in the nearby Shantiniketan, and the Rajawadi hospitals.”
Two firemen were injured and shifted to a hospital, during the operations through the night, the official said. The search and rescue operations are underway.
According to residents of the ill-fated Siddhi-Sai Cooperative Housing Society, the pillars of the building got weakened due to ongoing renovation of a nursing home located on its ground floor, reportedly owned by a local Shiv Sena leader Sunil Sitap, leading to the collapse on Tuesday morning. Sitap took renovation to convert his hospital to a guest house.
Though there has been some respite since Tuesday with downpour giving way to intermittent showers, over the last several days, the city and its suburbs received heavy rains.
Around 23 people were pulled out, of whom 12 were declared dead while 11 injured were admitted to hospitals, till 9 pm on Tuesday, as per reports.
The temporary accommodation arrangements for the affected people and the survivors were made by BMC in three nearby municipal schools. However, the survivors preferred to stay at their relatives’ homes.
Meanwhile, the crashed site which was visited by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, said he will ensure that the affected and aggrieved people get proper relief and rehabilitation as soon as possible.
After meeting the victims and residents, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days.”
Meanwhile, Sunil Sitap was arrested after an inquiry on Wednesday. The building was a 35-year-old structure, which housed around 15 families.
SUPRAJA
