The deceased were staying next to the wall in Ratan Tata Colony; the building was demolished after the fire, but the compound wall was not removed despite being weak
Fatal incidents of building collapse continued in the city as three people died after a wall caved in at Tardeo in the wee hours of Sunday. The incessant rain led to the wall collapse in Ratan Tata Colony.
The relatives of the deceased claim that the responsibility of the accident lies with the developer. Rohit Singh (18, right) lost his brother and father, barely ten days after coming to the city
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Incidentally, the same colony had witnessed a major fire two years ago, killing one resident. The Ganpat Wete Sadan building’s walls had weakened and a portion of it had collapsed after a fire in 2012, after which the entire building was brought down, except for the compound wall. A family of five was staying next to the wall.
Sikander Kumar Singh (46) and Manoj Kumar Singh (36), who were reported dead on arrival at Nair Hospital, were brothers-in-law their wives are sisters who stay in Uttar Pradesh. Manish Kumar Singh (22), Sikander’s elder son was critically injured and admitted to the ICU, but doctors were unable to save him and he was declared dead on Sunday night. Sikander’s younger son Rohit and another brother-in-law, Raman, were unhurt.
Sikander and Rohit had come to Mumbai ten days back the father to rejoin his duty as a security guard and his 18-year-old son to look for a job. Relatives and friends of the deceased are blaming the developer, who showed up at the hospital after the incident, saying he did not demolish the wall despite knowing the danger it posed.
“This is not done, the developer needs to take responsibility for this. It has been raining, and when they know the wall is dangerous, they should have demolished it,” said Khagendra Kumar Singh, a relative of Sikander Singh.
'All alone'
Sikander’s son, Rohit, said, “We have been waiting for people to come and help us. I have not informed my mother yet, and I don’t know how to do it as both the breadwinners of the family are now dead. I am left all alone, and I don’t know anything about the city.”
When this reporter tried to speak to the associates of the developer, who had come to the hospital to talk to the relatives, they refused to talk, and claimed it was an accident. Deputy Dean of Nair Hospital, Shivraj Das, said, “The two who were brought dead, and Manish who was critically injured, suffered pelvic fractures and head injuries. We tried our best to save him, but he passed away on Sunday evening.”