Wall in old Mhada building collapses

A wall in an old building in Girgaum collapsed around 8.30 am on Saturday, trapping three people on the second floor, who were rescued by the fire brigade within an hour. No injuries or casualties have been reported.

Four fire engines and three ambulances were sent to the spot after debris from the wall of Pathare building fell into gap between it and the neighbouring Bhansali building, blocking the fire brigade’s access to the accident spot. The three people were trapped in the room the wall had collapsed in, and had to be rescued from the second floor with the help of a ladder.

An official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) disaster management department said that the accident was a minor one since only one wall of the building had collapsed, with the debris falling into the gap between two buildings. The debris did not fall on any people since the area was vacant, the official added.

He confirmed that the structure was a Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) building. It had already been declared dangerous and was supposed to have undergone restoration before the monsoon. However, there is a stay on the redevelopment of the building at present due to legal issues. The building has been evacuated at present and the residents have been shifted to a Mhada transit camp.