Balcony collapses in Kalyan, injures two labourers
KALYAN: A portion of a balcony of a 40-year-old dilapidated chawl at Joshibaug in Kalyan (West) collapsed, injuring two labourers on Thursday.
The incident took place when four labourers were carrying out repair works of the balcony on the first floor of the ground plus two storeyed Ashirwad Bhavan chawl.
Twenty-two families lived in the chawl. With the balcony collapsed, several residents were stuck on the first and second floor as the access to the ground floor was blocked as the balcony connected the staircase.
The two labourers are severely injured.
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) officials and KDMC fire team immediately reached spot.
“We rescued all residents and brought them down through a ladder. The two labourers who were injured were sent to the civic hospital. After evacuating all the residents, the civic body officials demolished the remaining portion of the balcony,” said a fire officer of KDMC.
Residents said that the balcony had developed cracks and so they had decided to repair it before monsoon.
“The work for repair started few days ago. We were busy inside our homes when all of a sudden, we heard a loud noise. We ran outside to see the balcony had collapsed,” said Yasmin Shaikh, 30, a resident.
The KDMC has decided to carry out a structural audit of the chawl.
“The chawl is dilapidated and had developed cracks. The labourers were hired to do minor works of plastering of the balcony on the first floor. We have decided to do a structural audit of the chawl,” said Arun Wankhede, KDMC ward officer.
He said the residents have been asked to shift to some other place.
“The residents living in the first and second floor cannot enter their homes. We have started demolishing the rest of the balcony,” added Wankhede.
The dilapidated chawl at Joshibaug was undergoing repair when a portion of the balcony collapsed on Thursday.