Rescue operations continue as many more are believed to be trapped under the debris.
Three persons were crushed to death and another was injured when a slab of a seven-storey building fell on them on Friday evening. The incident took place around 4.45pm at Makhuda Mohalla on Narayan Dhuru Street in Pydhonie.
Some more people are believed to be trapped under the debris even as the rescue operations continued. The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has been repairing the building since September 2012.
The deceased have been identified as Imtiyaz Abdul Siddiqui, 28, Balleshwar Mahato, 26, and Rafique Kallu, 30. The were declared brought dead in JJ hospital. The person with injuries is being treated at the hospital.
At least six fire engines, one rescue and house-collapse van and three ambulances have been rushed to the spot for rescue operations. Some residents believe that five to six people are still trapped under the debris.
“Two more persons may be trapped under the debris and the work of rescuing them is going on,” said a fire official involved in rescue operations.
The slab that crashed was of a restaurant that is run in the building’s ground floor. Siddiqui had a bangles stall near the restaurant and Mahato and Kallu were hotel workers.
Mohammed Farhan, landlord of the building which has 28 tenants, said: “A similar incident of a roof collapse on the fourth floor had occurred on 31 August last year in which my brother and mother were injured. Following the incident, the Mhada and fire officials issued eviction notices.”
Following this 25 tenants vacated the building. “However, three tenants including the hotel owner refused to vacate,” added Farhan. The last eviction notice of three tenants was received in January 2013.
Meanwhile, the incident on Friday affected the north-bound traffic which caused inconvenience to motorists till late evening.
@vishwas_01
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