‘No beams, only a wall’: 12 killed in Malwani building collapse

The ground plus three structure collapsed around 11 pm on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

At least 12 people were killed and seven injured when a three-storey structure collapsed in Malwani in Malad West on Wednesday night. A man living in an adjacent house told mid-day, that two days back, he had informed its owner that the structure had slightly tilted. He also claimed that the collapsed structure did not have any beam support and was made of single brick walls.

At least people were killed and 7 were injured after a three-storey structure collapsed in a slum pocket of Malwani in Malad West on Wednesday night. The owner of the building, Mohammed Rafiq Siddique, 48, stayed on the second floor and his brother stayed on another floor. Rafiq's wife, his brother Shafiq and his wife along with six kids died in the incident. Rafiq had stepped out when the building crashed. Sheikh, 45, another resident, who stayed on rent with his family members, had also stepped out before the structure collapsed, and survived. Locals said one more person from the building is missing.

According to local residents, the incident happened at around 11 pm on Wednesday. As per the BMC's Disaster Management Cell, they received a call about the collapse at 11:10 pm from the new Collector compound slum on Abdul Hameed Road in Malwani. The incident took place in a slum pocket which is on Collector's land.

Munir Ahmed saw the building tilting and shouted for Mohammed Rafiq, but within seconds it fell

The nine members of Rafiq's family who died include his wife Raisa Bano, 40, Shafiq, 45, Shafiq's wife Ishrat Bano, 40, and their children: Tausif, 15, Aalisha, 10, Tahes, 12, Alina, 6, Asifa, 5, and Alfisha who was a year and half old.

Three more people have died, including two children, Sahil Sayyed, 9, and John Hiranna, 13, from two families living there on rent. Their parents are seriously injured and are under treatment at Shatabdi hospital. The 12th person who died is Isu Bhatia.

Also Read: Malwani building collapse: Neighbour warned owner the building had shifted

Marikumari Hiranna, 30, Dhanalaxmi Baby, 56, Salim Shaikh, 49, Rizwana Sayyad, 33, Suryamani Yadav, 39, Karim Khan, 30 and Gulzar Ahmed Ansari, 26, were injured and they are under treatment in the Shatabdi hospital. The condition of Marikumari Hiranna is said to be critical, a police officer said. John and his mother, Marikumari, were visiting his grandmother Dhanalaxmi, the police said.

Neighbours rush to help

Munir Ahmed, who stays in the adjacent house, said, "At around 11 pm on Wednesday, I was at home when I heard a noise. When I came out to see what it was, I saw that my neighbour's house, a ground plus three structure, had slightly tilted. I immediately started calling Mohammad Rafiq who owned the house and within seconds the structure came crashing down on the adjacent houses."

Sohail Sheikh, a resident

Immediately after the incident, youngsters and neighbours rushed to the spot and started pulling out the people trapped beneath the debris. "Before the fire brigade and police could come, we pulled out three people and rushed them to the hospital in rickshaws. But while everyone was trying to help save the lives of the people trapped beneath the debris, it was sad to see that there were some anti-social elements who arrived with an intention to steal the cell phones, cash and valuables of the trapped people," said Sohail Sheikh, a neighbour of Rafiq.

On Thursday when mid-day visited the spot this reporter noticed that there are several ground plus three or ground plus four structures in the area. Some of them
were without the support of iron beams.

‘Authorities also responsible'

"There are many ground plus three structures without any iron beam support here which is a dangerous thing. Along with the owner of the house, the authorities in the BMC ward office and Collector office are also responsible for this incident as if they had taken timely action against such structures, the incident could have been avoided. Many innocent kids and people would have not died. I hope the authorities take a serious note about this incident to prevent further mishaps," said a resident. On Thursday Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with Environment and Guardian Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal Hospital also called Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli to enquire about the injured people who were admitted there. CM Thackeray announced R5 lakh compensation each to the heirs of the victims and said the government would bear the cost of the treatment of the injured. Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Mayor Kishori Pednekar, District Collector Milind Borikar were also present with the CM at the hospital.

1 dead in another house collapse

One person died in another house collapse at Lokhandi Chawl at Shivaji Nagar, in Dahisar East, on Thursday. As per the information given by the disaster management department of the BMC, three houses collapsed at Lokhandi Chawl. The deceased has been identified as Pradyumna Satoj .