Ghatkopar building collapse: Death toll climbs to 17, rescue operations underway

The death toll in Ghatkopar building collapse has gone up to 17 on Wednesday morning. The rescue operation was underway. A four-storey residential building was collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar on Tuesday.around 13 people were injured in the incident. 

The divisional fire officer told that 11 people have been rescued safely while two fire tender jawans got injured during the operation who were being given medical treatment. 

According to residents of the ill-fated Siddhi-Sai Cooperative Housing Society, the pillars of the building got weakened due to ongoing renovation of a nursing home located on its ground floor, reportedly owned by a local Shiv Sena leader.

“Until 9 pm, 23 people were extricated from under the rubble, out of whom 12 were declared dead while 11 injured have been admitted in various hospitals,” Mahesh Narvekar, Head, Disaster Management cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had informed.

Ghatkopar building collapse: Death toll rises to 17; rescue operations continue. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/V8o81inFWe

— ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017

Out of the injured, six persons were discharged later in afternoon, he had said.

When asked whether the search and rescue operation was called off, the officer had said it would continue.

A total of 60 NDRF jawans along with sniffer dogs were pressed into service. According to the official, sniffer dogs helped in rescuing two people alive from under the debris.

The deceased were identified as: Ranjanben Shah, V Renuka, Sulakshana Khanchandani, Mansukh Gajjar, Mikulkhan Chandani, Pandharinath Dongre, Rutvi Shah, Krishu Dongre, Manorma Dongre, Amrita Thak, Divya Azmera and Kishore Khanchandani.

11 people rescued safely. Two of our jawans got injured during rescue, being medically treated: Divisional fire officer on building collapse pic.twitter.com/KkwA9rUUo5

— ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also visited the building collapse site tonight.

“An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days,” he had said.

Meanwhile, the police have detained one Sunil Shitap, said to be the owner of the nursing home on the ground floor of the building.

“Prima facie, it appears that the accused was carrying out illegal renovation in the building. At this juncture, it will not be appropriate to give other details as investigations are underway and available information needs verification,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Deven Bharti.

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Shitap was booked under sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), civic official had said.