Mumbai Rains: Six killed, One Injured In Chawl Collapse In Mumbai; NDRF At spot

Mumbai: At least six persons were killed and one sustained injuries when a three-storey chawl (row tenement) collapsed in Mumbai’s Mankhurd area amid heavy rains on Sunday night, officials said.

A 63-year-old man died after a tree fell on a shop amidst heavy rain and strong winds near the Gomes Gown Building in the Navpada area of ​​Mumbai's Kurla on Sunday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Yunus Kundawala, police said. When bystanders rushed a grievously injured Kundawala to a nearby hospital, doctors declared him dead upon examination, they added.

Personnel from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), and the municipal ward office reached the spot to clear the fallen tree from the shop with the help of mechanised saws. Power supply was also disrupted as wires snapped due to the impact, and BEST personnel are working to restore it.

As per officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), four women and a man were “brought dead” to the civic-run Shatabdi Hospital. Another man was declared dead at Rajawadi Hospital.

One injured man is being treated at the BMC-run Rajawadi, they said. The incident occurred at Chawl No 5 in Janta Nagar, behind Hanuman Mandir, in the Mandala locality at around 8.30 pm, they said.

As per preliminary information, two to three tenements forming part of the three-storey structure caved in, prompting a rescue operation by personnel from Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, BMC ward office and ‘108’ ambulance services, the officials said.

A search and rescue operation is continuing to pull out a person feared trapped under the debris, officials said, adding that a team from the NDRF had also arrived at the scene.

Local BJP corporator Navnath Ban also said one more person is missing. He said the structure collapsed onto an adjoining hut on the collector’s land. The rescue operation is being hampered by heavy rains, he added.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists staged a protest on the road wearing black badges on their hands and clashed with the police. MNS Kandivali division president Mahendra Bhanushali condemned the incident.

Kishori Pednekar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), blamed Mayor Ritu Tawde for the incident.

"It is the Mayor who is responsible for this, not the administration. The Mayor must accept responsibility. The BJP has been in power in the BMC for the past 30 years, including 25 in alliance with the Shiv Sena. Despite that, the party is trying to shirk its responsibility by pushing the citizens into jeopardy," she added.

Launching a scathing attack, Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad said the BJP filled its pockets by looting Mumbai and cannot escape accountability. "The BJP alone is responsible for the ruinous state of Mumbai," she added.

In a separate incident, an 18-year-old boy died after a tree branch fell on him while he was riding a motorcycle in the Aarey Colony area of Goregaon East. While the incident took place on Saturday afternoon, it was reported to the authorities on Sunday, a civic official said.

The victim, Kumar Hasan Raza Jahangir Alam Syed, was travelling on a motorcycle with his friends when a tree branch snapped and fell on his head, he said. He was rushed to a hospital, where the doctors declared him dead, he said.

These incidents have occurred days after an 11-year-old boy was similarly killed and several others were injured after a tree uprooted and fell onto a moving school bus in Chembur on June 30.

Meanwhile, in view of the orange alert issued, the BMC has declared a holiday for all government, private and civic-run schools and colleges in Mumbai on Monday in view of an 'orange alert' for heavy rain.

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the safety of students, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release on Sunday evening. The India Meteorological Department has issued an 'orange' alert for the metropolis, forecasting heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

Government and private offices will function as usual, it added. (With inputs from PTI)

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