Mumbai: Vasai landslide victims were set to move to a safe place that evening

The site of the landslide in Wagralpada of Rajawali in Vasai

The Singh family, who lost two of their four members in the landslide on July 13, were supposed to move to a safer place in the evening of that day as they were aware of the dangers that monsoon brings in Wagralpada of Rajawali in Vasai. They were making preparations to leave when the tragedy struck.

At the time of the incident, Amit Singh was in the toilet and his daughter Roshni was in the kitchen while his wife Vandana and son Om were in the hall, Singh's uncle Ashok told mid-day. Though neighbours rushed to the spot, alerted the authorities and managed to pull Vandana and Om out from the rubbles, they could not find Singh and Roshni. Their bodies were pulled out hours later.

Vandana Singh, a survivor, at the hospital. Pics/Hanif Patel

They bought the room 3 months ago. "His neighbours had shifted to a safer place hardly a few days before the landslide," said Ashok. Singh's cousin Samarjeet told mid-day, "They had been residing in the area for the past 3 years, but purchased the room only 3 months ago. They were so happy to own the place. Every year during monsoon, they would shift to a safer place as the 50-60 rooms on the hill top are very dangerous during monsoon."

He added, "It is shocking that the incident took place on the day they were supposed to shift. I still remember we talked about them shifting somewhere else just the night before because of the heavy rains." "On the day of the incident, Amit did not go to his office and was preparing to shift. I had called them in the morning to check on them too. But suddenly I was informed that their house collapsed and they were trapped inside. I rushed there, but by then Vandana and Om were taken to the hospital and Amit and Roshni's bodies were pulled out," added Samarjeet.

Delay in rescue op

Samarjeet told mid-day, "Amit and Roshni were trapped under large pieces of stones and wet soil which could only be removed with the help of an excavator or backhoe machine. The rescue personnel got one such machine but could not reach the site fast as there was no space for the vehicle to pass through the chawl."

On the day of the incident, Praveen Nalawade, an eye-witness, had told mid-day, "Civic officials and other rescuers had to raze parts of around six to seven chawls so that the machine can be driven to the site to remove the debris."

Singh's uncle Ashok said, "Amit's body was pulled out around 11 am but the girl was still trapped inside… Had the machine reached earlier, these two precious lives could have been saved. The cluster and lack of space delayed the rescue operation."