The toll in Thursday’s building collapse in Shil-Phata in Mumbra rose on Friday to 56 dead and 60 injured. Rescue operations are still being carried out and more casualties are expected as people are still trapped under the debris.
Earlier on Friday, in the state Legislative Assembly, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan announced monetary relief for the families of the deceased and injured. “The government will provide financial assistance of `2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and `50,000 each for those seriously injured in the tragedy,” he said. He announced the suspension of Thane Municipal Corporation deputy municipal commissioner Deepak Chavan for dereliction of duty. Senior police inspector K.P Naik was also suspended as there were allegations of him having a nexus with slumlords, thereby resulting in rampant illegal construction in the area.
Joint operations by over 300 personnel from the local police, fire brigade, state reserve force and BMC were conducted with sledgehammers, gasoline-powered saws and hydraulic jacks on Friday to break through the tower of rubble in their search for survivors. Six bulldozers were brought to the scene, along with a crusher machine and fire engines from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
“There may be a possibility that people are still trapped inside right now,” Thane police commissioner K.P. Raghuvanshi said Friday. TMC deputy commissioner Sandeep Malvi confirmed this and said that 100 to 150 people had been living in the building, all of them mostly residents or construction workers. He added that since only 56 bodies were recovered and 60 were injured, it was very likely that around 18-20 people were still trapped.
The police has also registered a case against the absconding builders. “A case has been registered at the Diaghar police station under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and under IPC Sections 336, 337 and 338, all for causing grievous hurt, and 34 (common intention), against the builders Jamil Qureshi and Salim Shaikh. We are on the lookout for them,” said assistant commissioner Amit Kale, Kalwa.
Locals alleged that such disasters occurred because of the nexus of builders, local politicians and civic officials, which, along with the land mafia in Mumbra, has been responsible for the large-scale illegal construction.
Data shows that in Mumbra, which has a population of nine lakh, almost 95 per cent of buildings are illegal. Around two lakh houses of the estimated 2.79 lakh across Thane and Kalwa-Mumbra-Diva townships are unauthorised.