4 killed, 18 injured as three Mumbai buildings collapse

MUMBAI: Four people died and 18 others were injured on Thursday in three separate incidents of structure collapses within 24 hours in Mumbai.

In one of the incidents, two people were killed and three were injured after a large portion of a ground-plus-six storey residential structure collapsed in Fort. Officials said several people were feared to be trapped under the debris while some were stranded inside the building as the staircase was blocked.

The incident took place around 4.43pm when a large portion of Bhanushali building on Mint Road in Fort collapsed. Eight fire engines, two rescue vans and 10 ambulances were pressed into service. The rescue operation was still on at the time of going to press. Prabhat Rahangdale, chief fire officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade,

said, “People are trapped under the debris and some are stranded inside. Five have been retrieved and sent to hospital, of whom two are dead.”

Inanotherincident,twopeople were killed and 13 were injured after a ground-plus-two storey chawl in Malvani, Malad, collapsed around 2.35 pm. Rahangdale said, “Two people had been sent to a hospital by locals before our teams arrived. Search and rescue operation is still on.”

The two deceased have been identified as Faizal Wahid Sayyad (18) and Anjum Shahabuddin Shaikh (23). According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the 13 rescued were administered first aid and discharged. The third structure collapse was reported around 8.30 pm wherein a part of the ceiling of ground-plus-one storey Iqbal Manzil in Marol collapsed. Two people were injured, while two were stranded on the first floor.