Mumbai building collapses during demolition; 1 dead, several feared trapped

ANI photo

Mumbai: A six-storey structure at Sakinaka suburban in Mumbai collapsed during demolition on Saturday evening leaving several people injured and many trapped inside. 

According to ANI, while two people were rescued by the Mumbai fire brigade and admitted to Rajawadi hospital, several others are feared to be trapped inside the debris. 

Mumbai: 6-storey building collapsed during demolition in Sangharsh Nagar, 5 reported to be trapped, 1 rescued; 2 JCB, 1 Poclain under debris pic.twitter.com/De6mrelJm2

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

One of them, a 20-year-old Gaurav was declared brought dead by the doctors while other two, aged between 19 and 25 years, sustained fractures in their legs. 

The building, Crystal Business Park, at Chandivali in north-central Mumbai, was being demolished at the time of the incident, said an official of BMC Disaster Control.

The city had received heavy showers in the past two days.

Mumbai fire brigade chief PS Rahangdale put the number of people feared trapped inside at around five. "A JCB machine and a Poclain machine (used for gathering and lifting soil or debris) were also trapped under the debris," he said.

"Hanging portion of the remaining building is posing risk to the rescue operation," he said, adding that eight fire engines, a rescue van, a quick response vehicle, 50 workers and ward office staff have been pressed into service at the spot.

According to a local eyewitness PS Menon, the tragedy occurred when one of the four massive cranes working atop the building suddenly started wobbling and then hurtled down from the top floor of the skeletal structure.

The weight and impact of the falling crane led to at least three slabs of the building crashing down with it around 5.15 p.m., causing the remaining structure to tilt dangerously in the direction of an adjoining residential building, Woodland Heights.

"We had lodged several complaints to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, local police and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on the dangerous condition of this unoccupied building in the past one year. But nobody took any action in the matter," said Menon.

Teams of Mumbai Fire Brigade and other disaster relief agencies which rushed to the site are continuing operations to rescue some more people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.