Twelve people, including eight children were killed, and seven others injured after a portion of a four-storey residential structure collapsed on an adjacent two-storey structure in western Mumbai late on Wednesday.
The incident was reported from Malvani slum at Malad in the western suburbs of Mumbai following incessant rains throughout the day. The Maharashtra government has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased.
According to civic officials, the building had serious structural faults and was further damaged during cyclone Tauktae after which some more dangerous changes were made to it. The collapse has affected the adjacent residential structures as well, leading to the civic body evacuating them.
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Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar asked the culprits behind the tragedy to take responsibility. “Today 11 people including children have died. When the building is declared under C category, the occupants must be moved out immediately. Culprits must take the responsibility,” she said.
Officials negligent
Ms. Pednekar added that instead of searching for the authority responsible for it, had every authority worked with responsibility, the tragedy could have been averted. Buildings in category C mean that they are beyond repair and need to be demolished.
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The dead have been identified as Sahil Sarfaraz Sayyed, 9, Arifa Sheikh, 9, Shafiq Md Saleem Siddiqui, 45, Tausif Shafiq Siddiqi, 15, Aalisha Shafiq Siddiqui, 10, Alfisa Shafiq Siddiqui, 1.5, Afina Shafik Siddiqui, 6, Ishrat Bano Shafiq Siddiqui, 40, Rahisa Bano Rafik Siddiqui, 40, Tahes Safik Siddiqui, 12, and Jhon Irranna, 13.
Those injured are Marikumari Hirangana, 30, who is in a critical condition, Dhanalaxmi Baby, 56, Salim Shaikh, 49, Rizwana Sayyad, 33, Suryamani Yadav, 39, Karim Khan 30, and Gulzar Ahmed Ansari, 26.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray visited the injured at the Shatabdi hospital in Kandivali.
Mumbai police registered a case under section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code against the owner of the residential building. Vishwas Nangre-Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) said, “A case under section 304 (2) of the IPC has been registered against the owner of the structure that collapsed and the contractor. They had recently made some structural changes after cyclone Tauktae.”