Incessant monsoons in Mumbai on July 20 caused a woman’s death when after a portion of a residential building’s balcony collapsed at Rubinissa Manzil in Mumbai’s Grant Road. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. when a portion of the balcony of the ground, second, third, and fourth floors collapsed partially. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) team reported the incident at 11.28 a.m. and completed the rescue operation by 4:35 p.m. and declared the incident as level 1.
A total of 13 persons (six men, six women, and one child) were rescued by the MFB. On-duty doctor at Bhatia Hospital, Dr. Bhavesh informed that three persons were brought injured: Atul Shah (55) was admitted in the ICU and remains under observation; Niket Shah (26) was treated and discharged, and Vijaykumar Nishad (25) was also treated and discharged. 80-year-old Veera Wadia was declared dead. Dr. Riya from Breach Candy Hospital Trust informed that one injured person, 30-year-old Sidhhesh Dinesh Palija, is admitted in the ICU. Eight residents stranded on the fourth floor of the building were later rescued at around 4 p.m.
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The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) building authorities had declared the residential apartment as cessed, dangerous, and unfit for habitation earlier in June this year. MHADA had also issued notice to the residents to move out.
On June 11, 2024, the Mumbai Buildings Repairs and Reconstruction Board, a unit of MHADA, completed its annual pre-monsoon survey of old and dilapidated cessed buildings in the city. After the survey, the MHADA had declared 20 cessed buildings in Mumbai as dangerous and unfit for habitation. Of these 20 buildings declared as dangerous, four were declared dangerous in 2023 as well.
The Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai, District Forecast and Warnings has declared orange alerts on July 20 for Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and red alert for Raigad. For July 21, yellow alert is issued for Palghar, Thane, Mumbai and Sindhudurg and orange alert for Raigad and Ratnagiri. On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted moderate to heavy rains in the Mumbai on July 20.
