india

Updated: Jun 01, 2020 19:54 IST

A century-old building collapsed in south Mumbai’s congested Dongri area on Tuesday, killing at least ten people as rescuers struggled to reach the several others who are trapped under the debris, officials said.

A toddler was among the seven people to be pulled alive from the Kesarbai building in Tandel Street in Abdul Hamid Durga, an area with narrow by lanes, and rushed to a hospital. Doctors said the condition of the child was stable.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said authorities are focussing on rescuing those who are trapped and that an investigation will be launched to find the cause behind the collapse.

“It was a 100-year-old building. It was not in the list of dangerous buildings. A developer was appointed for redevelopment. We will probe if there was any lapse on part of the developer,” Devendra Fadnavis said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and expressed his anguish over the fatalities after the 100-years-old building came crumbling down on Tuesday morning.

Collapse of a building in Mumbai’s Dongri is anguishing. My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon. Maharashtra Government, NDRF and local authorities are working on rescue operations & assisting those in need: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 16, 2019

He said the state government and the National Disaster Response Force are working on rescue operations.

Home Minister Amit Shah termed the building collapse tragic.

The collapse of a building in Dongri, Mumbai is very tragic. My condolences with the bereaved families and prayers for early recovery of those injured. Rescue operations are in full swing. State government, NDRF and local authorities are doing their best to assist people in need. — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 16, 2019

Local residents reported the incident to the police at 11:40am after they heard a loud crashing sound and saw the Kesarbai building had given way. There were at least 13 to 14 families living in the building.

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Officials said rescuers had a tough time manoeuvring a fire tender through the narrow approach to the crash site.

“Access is a very big challenge for us at this time. The lanes are narrow, so we cannot take any machinery inside. We are manually doing all work, clearing debris, cutting iron girders,” a senior officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said.

“Since these are all old buildings that were renovated at some point, they have been supported with iron rods around the structure of the building. This is making rescue challenging and is very problematic for those stuck in the debris. If I could take a JCB inside, by now all debris would be cleared,” the officer added.

Rescue workers from the fire department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and civic body staff were on the scene as sniffer dogs looked for survivors amid the ruin.

A video from the spot showed firemen being helped by neighbours in removing debris as they formed a human chain to clear the pieces of concrete and brick with bare hands.

Adjoining buildings, which authorities said were in a dilapidated condition, were vacated after the collapse.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) building has a ground floor and three other storeys.

MHADA chairperson Uday Samant said the building was given to a private builder for re-development.

“If the developer has delayed re-development of the collapsed building, then he will face action. If some MHADA officials are responsible for the delay in its development, then they will also face strict action,” he said, according to news agency PTI.