Three people were killed and nine others were injured after a ground-plus-three-storey residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi on Friday morning. Officials said that one more resident is feared trapped under the debris.
Officials from the Bhiwandi Nizampura Municipal Corporation said that the building, Tahir Manzil, in Navi Basti collapsed around 9 a.m. While some residents managed to save themselves, several were trapped inside.
NDRF despatched
While the fire brigade, civic officials and police reached the spot within the hour, it was decided to call in the National Disaster Response Force. Two teams were despatched to the location within two hours of the collapse.
“One body was removed from the debris in the morning, and two others by evening. We also rescued nine residents from the debris, and they have been admitted to Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital in Bhiwandi and Thane Civil Hospital,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, Zone III, Thane police.
Thane, 24/11/2017: NDRF team alongwith Fire Brigade busy in rescue work after a four-storey building Taahir Bijnor collapsed at Nayi Basti Area in Bhiwandi, Thane on Friday Morning. Photo: Vibhav Birwatkar.
The deceased have been identified as Rukhsar Khan (18), Ashfaq Khan (38) and Zaibunissa Ansari (60). Officials said that Zaibunissa’s son Tahir owns the building, while the others were tenants. The police said that Tahir managed to run out of the building when it started falling, but Zaibunissa could not get out quickly enough and was trapped under the debris. Her body was the last to be removed.
The search for one more resident, Ashfaq’s wife, is still under way. “We first mistook Zaibunissa’s body for that of Ashfaq’s wife’s, but then realised that the latter is still missing. The operation is almost at its end, and we might find her soon,” said Mr. Patil.
He said all the other residents are accounted for.
Thane,24/11/2017: Residents Yakub Khan and Sabera Khan injured in the Bhiwandi building collapse are treated in the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi . Photo: Vibhav Birwatkar.
Of the nine injured, Khwaja Sayyed (70), Rehan Khan (5), Salma Ansari (45), Asif Khan (21) and Abid Khan (22) have been admitted to Thane Civil Hospital, while Shakeel Ansari (37), Yakub Khan (58), Imrana Khan (22) and Sabir Khan (55) are being treated at IGM Hospital.
After preliminary inquiries, the police found enough grounds to book Tahir for allegedly causing death and injury, and endangering the lives of others due to negligence.
Illegal structure
“Inquiries so far indicate that the building was an illegal structure built with substandard material, which is believed to be the reason for the collapse. We have sought information about any notices issued to Tahir or any action taken against him by civic authorities,” said Mr. Patil.
The police will wait for Tahir to conduct his mother’s last rites, after which he will be questioned about the construction material used.
The police will also question the building contractor about the quality of the material and if the required safety procedures were followed.
The police are recording statements of those among the injured who are in a condition to speak with them, to gather the building’s history. Inquiries will also be made with residents of neighbouring buildings, and local civic ward officials, said sources.
