10 dead in Kalwa building collapse

Ten people died and four were critically injured when a three-storied building, Sonubai Niwas, came crashing down at 4.30pm on Tuesday in the congested Gaondevi area in Kalwa.

The 27-year-old building had been evacuated in the morning after mild tremors struck the area the previous night. It collapsed when the families returned to collect their belongings.

Rescue efforts went on till midnight, but were going slow as the lane leading to the building is narrow and congested. The injured were taken to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa.

“As the building was old, portions would regularly fall off. On Monday night, when the tremors were felt in Thane, we heard a thud.Initially, we ignored it, but in the morning, we noticed the crack that had developed in the building. We realised that it was dangerous to stay here. So everyone decided to vacate. It came crashing down in the evening,” said Swapnil Keni, 18.

“Almost 90% of the buildings in Kalwa and Mumbra are illegal. We had served a notice to the building since it was unsafe,” said Thane Municipal Corporation commissioner RA Rajeev.

The civic administration is trying to ascertain if the building was constructed with requisite approval.
The government said it is pushing for redevelopment of the area.

“Victims will be compensated as per state’s norms,” informed Ganesh Naik, Thane’s guardian minister.

Three buildings have collapsed in the area in the last two months.