1 dead, 2 hurt in Byculla wall collapse

A woman died and two others were injured when a 40-feet-long wall along the railway compound on NM Joshi Road collapsed on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Nasibul Ansari, 22, was taken to Nair Hospital where she was declared dead on admission. The injured duo – Mustafa Shaikh, 50, and Riyaz Shaikh, 20 – are stable and are being treated at Nair Hospital as well.

According to civic officials, the collapse near S-Bridge in Byculla (W) took place at 3pm when a footpath was being constructed on NM Joshi Road. Here, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had carried out a major drive last month in which they demolished 281 huts.
Sohail Ansari, a resident of the area, alleged that the BMC started the work despite the ward office having asked them to wait for few a days. “They should be held responsible for her death,” he said.

Ward officials, however, refuted the allegations claiming that those eligible had been relocated. “We relocated 180 residents to Gadkari Road in Chembur a month back and informed the remaining other that they were ineligible for relocation,” assistant commissioner of E Ward Sanjog Kabre said, adding that some residents submitted their documents after last month’s drive.

After the collapse, residents pelted stones at the earthmovers and blocked the road for nearly three hours.

The police have registered a case under the sections 304(a) (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) against the driver. “We are yet to arrest him as he is absconding,” said Jaywant Sarmokadam, ACP.