Mahim building collapse: A heap of valuables, and some answers

Two days after a portion of the five-storey Altaf Mansion in Mahim collapsed, killing 10 persons, the fractured building stood like a shaky testimony of the tragedy.

The 29-year-old building came crashing down on Monday night. After hours of rescue work and pulling out the dead and the injured, the civic body cleared the debris, in which are buried valuables, important documents and possessions of the residents. 

All through Monday night and Tuesday, six to seven trucks dumped the debris along the Mahim seashore.

After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers unloaded tonnes of concrete and iron, residents and the Mahim police spent Tuesday night sifting through the debris hoping to find lost belongings.

“The debris was dumped by BMC workers at Mahim sea shore on Monday night. Two officers and six constables were asked to go to the site and conduct a search to see if important valuables, articles or cash were buried there,” said senior police inspector Avinash Sonawane from Mahim police station.

After searching for a few hours, constable Amol Walade found Rs14,000 and some important documents in the wee hours of Wednesday. “I found cash from the debris and immediately told my superiors about it,” said Walade.

“His efforts are appreciated and we will push for a suitable reward for him,” said Sonawane.

Some residents and locals too joined the police in looking for valuables.

Muhhamad Iqbal Ismail Gandhi, a resident of Altaf Mansion, managed to get his important documents on Wednesday morning.

Some lucky residents could manage to find their household goods in good condition.
“A lot of things of emotional value for the families was lost and residents are trying to salvage them,” said Sonawane.

The portion of the building which is still standing will be pulled down by the BMC in the next few days, said a senior civic official.

Civic body’s appeal
The civic body wants citizens to carry out structural audits of buildings which are less than 30 years old and if the residents feel that the structure is weak. Estimates have it that at least half of the city’s 7.5lakh residential properties are over 30 years old. “It won’t be binding but will be a safety measure,” said a senior official, adding that the civic body might also issue an appeal to residents of buildings less than 25 years old.