Close shave in Andheri East

The landslide damaged the kitchen of Namrata Adangale’s flat, in Ram Baug CHS, Andheri East. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Residents of Ram Baug CHS, located alongside a hillock in Andheri East, were fast asleep when heavy rainfall triggered a mudslide. They woke up to loud bangs and sounds of crashing, only to learn that boulders had broken the walls of five flats on the second floor. They all rushed out of their homes in time to avoid any casualties. The incident occurred around 1.45 am on Tuesday, at the eight-storey building located on the Mahakali Caves road in Andheri East.

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Kitchen damaged

Namrata Adangale who lives on the second floor said, "On hearing the loud sound, we just got up from our beds in fear and headed out, unaware of what was actually happening. Later, we saw the damage.

The debris fell outside the flats on the ground floor, which is protected by a retaining wall. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Our kitchen wall, which faces the hillock, has completely collapsed. The situation is similar in four other flats," said Adangale, who lives in flat No. 215. "The building is around 25 years old and we never witnessed anything like this," she added. The building was developed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), said civic officials.

"Sometimes, small stones fall from the hillock, but this kind of incident had never happened before," said Satish Kurne, who lives on the first floor. His flat too faces the hillock, but the retaining wall kept mud and rocks from crashing into his house and others on the first and ground floors. Debris, which fell while boulders hit the second floor, had accumulated outside their houses.

Debris outside windows

Jyoti Gandhamala, whose flat is on the first floor, said, "My mother and I were sleeping in the bedroom when we heard a loud sound. We did not know what was happening as it was dark, but fearing for our lives, we ran out of the building. When we returned later, we saw mud and boulders outside our window." The fire brigade had also arrived after being alerted by the residents. According to another resident, some people have shifted elsewhere while some have stayed back.

Audit ordered

An official from K East ward office of the BMC said, "We have asked the residents to vacate the building and provided them with temporary shelter at a civic school. As the building belongs to the SRA, we have suggested that they conduct a structural inspection by a qualified engineer.

"The building would have to be vacated entirely if there is damage to the beams and pillars, as there would be a need for major repairs. If the auditor finds the pillars and beams safe and intact, then residents can stay," the official added.

According to the official, most necessary preventive measures have been taken to protect the hill from collapse. "Hence, continuous rainfall may have caused the landslide," he added. "The retaining wall should have been higher, considering its proximity to the hillock. It is currently at the height of the first floor. We will make relevant recommendations to the authority concerned. We have also sent a letter to the SRA to issue a stop-work notice to an under-construction building, which is part of the same project," the official said.

16 families evacuated from Nalasopara building

The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation evacuated 16 families from a building on Tuesday evening after it was suspected that a column in it had collapsed. At least 35 families from a nearby building were also evacuated.

JNM building in Hanuman Nagar, Nalasopara, was declared unsafe, however, residents were yet to evacuate it. Pic/Hanif Patel

According to officials, the four-storeyJNM building located in Hanuman Nagar, Nalasopara, was declared to be unsafe, however, residents were yet to evacuate it. According to Kishor Gavas, an official from VVMC, "A column of the building collapsed on Tuesday. The building was already deteriorating and in a very bad condition. All the 16 families residing in JNM building have been evacuated to safer spaces.

At least 35 families from the nearby building Jalaram Kunj have also been evacuated as we are going to destroy JNM building tonight." The evacuated families have been provided all basic amenities, officials said. "A team of NDRF, the municipal corporation and local police are present at the site. A structural audit of other buildings nearby will be done soon," he added. It has been raining heavily in the area.

Five
No of flats damaged in the landslide

05
No of flats damaged in the landslide

- Apoorva Agashe