Mumbai | Ghatkopar building collapse: One man's greed kills 17

At least 17 people were killed and 22 survivors were pulled out of the debris after a four-storey residential building in Ghatkopar, Sai Siddhi Cooperative Housing Society, collapsed on Tuesday morning. The deceased included a three-month-old girl, a thirteen-month-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. Two firemen involved in rescue operations were also injured.

Rescue operations by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Mumbai Fire Brigade and local volunteers were on till late at night, as some occupants of the building were feared to be trapped under the rubble. Rajesh Doshi, who was stuck in the debris, was being provided with medical assistance, with doctors and nurses at the spot providing him with glucose to ensure he survives.

Residents of the building claimed that the building collapsed due to illegal alterations carried out on the ground floor of the building by a Shiv Sena worker Sunil Shitap, to convert a maternity home run by him for around six years into a commercial lodging.

CM Devendra Fadnavis, who visited the spot on Tuesday evening, said that an inquiry will be conducted by the state government and the BMC.

He said that anyone found responsible will be charged with culpable homicide. He added that BMC chief Ajoy Mehta had been asked to submit a report within 15 days.

"An FIR has been registered 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) of Indian Penal Code against Sunil Shitap and others at Parksite Police Station. Main accused in the case has been detained and is being questioned. Prima facie, it is revealed 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 Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law & Order.

According to civic officials, the Sai Siddhi society, where around 12 families resided, was neither in a dilapadated condition nor declared dangerous for residents. At around 10:40 am, after it began shaking, the building came crashing down. Several occupants of the building were at home at the time, while others had stepped out either for work or for school or college.

"The building collapsed because of the structural alterations with the columns of the maternity home on the ground floor, which is owned by the Shiv Sena's Sunil Shitap. He did not have a No Objection Cetificate (NOC) for the work that was being carried out. He should be punished severely for taking so many lives," said an inconsolable Lalit Vitthal Thak, whose wife and three-month-old daughter died in the building collapse.

In the minutes before the building collapsed, residents sensed strong vibrations and started running frantically out of the building. However, most of them could not make it out of the building in time.

Some residents alleged that labourers working on the ground floor escaped when the building started shaking, without bothering to alert others. At least 30 to 35 people got trapped under the debris when the building collapsed.

A total of 12 fire engines, two rescue vans, four JCBs and 300 firemen were rushed to the spot. In addition, 50 officers and jawans from the NDRF were also rushed for rescue operations. Nine ambulances were also pushed into service at the spot.

"Shitap owns three flats on the ground floor, where he ran a nursing home without securing the necessary permissions. He did not pay building maintenance charges and we used to face water supply issues because Shitap used water in his clinic on a commercial basis. The BMC's N-Ward office and Building Proposals Department is equally responsible for killing my family. The political authorities and BMC have always supported Shitap," Thak said. His mother was also trapped under the debris.

Shitap also had an office on the first floor of the building, where he had employed three accountants who are now feared to be trapped under the debris.

Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta visited the spot in the afternoon and has ordered a probe into the matter. A press release issued by BMC states that Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chanrashekar Chore and Roads and Traffic Chief Engineer Vinod Chitore have been given charge of the probe. The Commissioner has asked the officers to submit a report in 15 days.

When rescue operations began at 10.54 am, firemen initially faced difficulties due to the narrow access to the site. To reach the site, a section of the compound wall of the adjacent Neelkanth Society was pulled down.

Those rescued from the debris were taken to Shantiniketan Hospital near the entrance to Neelkanth Society, and to Rajawadi Hospital.

To locate those trapped under the debris quickly, sniffer dogs were pressed into action. On locating those trapped, oxygen was pumped through the debris to provide immediate relief.

Deceased have been identified as Ranjanaben Shah, 62, three-month-old V Renuka Thak, Mansukhbhai Gajjar, 75, Amurta Thak, 40, Sulakshana Khanchandani, 80, Divya Ajmera, Rutvij Shah,14, Mikul Khanchandani, Pandharinath Dongre, Krishi Dongre, Manorama Dongre, and Kishor Khanchandani.

OVER 600 DANGEROUS BUILDINGS IN MUMBAI

As many as 617 buildings have been found to be dangerous for living in a survey carried out in April-May this year by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the government admitted in the state assembly on Tuesday.

LOCAL HEROES HELP IN TIME OF TRAGEDY

From helping the firemen remove those trapped to consoling those who lost their kin in the tragedy, hundreds of strangers rushed to the collapse site in Ghatkopar. Local heroes emerged out of nowhere.