Neighbours of collapsed building left without power, water for 36 hrs

Over 100-odd people living in the building adjacent to what was once Banoo building in Mumbra have been suffering a hell of their own. Following the collapse of the five-storey apartment on Saturday morning in which three people died, the residents of Banoo Estate have been struggling in the absence of power and water.

A portion of the building had fallen on Banoo Estate's main water tank and electricity cable box, due to which residents were left with no water and no electricity for 36 hours.

A clutter of inconvenience: The electricity box of Banoo Estate was destroyed when a slab of the adjacent Banoo building collapsed; (right, top) pile of debris at the site is causing trouble for senior citizens in the area who have to find their way around it

While their power connection was restored on Sunday night, they are still left without any water. "We are already traumatised, having watched the building collapse before our eyes. But to add to our problems, the water and electricity supply went out," said Imran Khan, chairman of Banoo Estate.

"When all of us came rushing down, we realised that not only had the building come crashing down like a house of cards but it had also affected our building," said Khan, adding that ever since the collapse, residents of his building have been ordering food from outside as it is difficult to cook and carry out daily chores without any water.

‘It is hell'
Kasam Wagu, a resident of Banoo Estate, said that since the elevator in the building was not working due to the power outage, senior citizens like him were having a lot of problems.

He further added that the huge pile of debris at the site was causing them a lot of inconvenience. "Since the debris is lying here, we are left with no option but to jump and go through a small, narrow lane. It is hell for senior citizens like me," he said.

A disaster official on the spot said that they have been working day and night to clear the debris so that residents living close by can move freely but it was not a very easy task.

"Owing to the narrow lanes, it is difficult to bring in two trucks to clear the remains of the building but from Monday, we shall hurry up the process," said the official. u00a0