Mumbai building collapse: Why did the structure give way 36 hours after the downpour?

The 117-year-old structure at Bhendi Bazaar that collapsed almost 36 hours after Mumbai suffered its heaviest rainfall since the July 26, 2005 deluge has left the city reeling.

While the collapse is a tragedy that has claimed at least 22 lives, it’s not a surprise that the building collapsed. It’s a scientifically proven theory using the basic principles of physics that can explain the tragedy.

When the rains lashed the city on August 29, it would appear that water would have seeped into the building ‘s cracks. Waterproofing in such old buildings is non-existent, which adds to the problem.

On August 30, while the MET had expected heavy showers, the sun came out and shone all day, resulting in the water that seeped into the walls evaporating and resulting in the expansion of the walls. In the process, the building’s foundation, which is already weak, gets weaker resulting in Thursday morning’s collapse.

The incident took place at around 8:30 am in Bhendi Bazar area. At least 20 more people are feared to be trapped under the debris.

The building was 117-years-old and 12 families were residing in it. It also had six godowns on the ground floor. What remained was a large mound of concrete rubble and steel rods encircled by other houses including what appeared to be a tall building.

Search and rescue operations are underway with the help of local residents. Dog squad too is at the spot, however, narrow lanes are making rescue operation difficult.

A 45-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is carrying out the rescue operation with the help of fire brigade personnel.