Mankhurd building collapse: FIR filed against owner, contractor and others after six deaths

Rescue teams from the NDRF, Mumbai Fire Brigade, the police, and BMC at the site on Monday. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

Following the building collapse in Mankhurd that killed six people, the police have registered an FIR against the building owner, contractor, hut owner and others, alleging that the structure was erected without mandatory safety measures despite being in a dangerous condition.

Several rescued

The collapse took place around 8.30 pm on Sunday at Janata Nagar in New Mandala, Mankhurd. The four-storey structure came crashing down on an adjacent hut, trapping several occupants under the debris. Rescue teams, including personnel from the fire brigade, police and disaster response agencies, launched an overnight operation to pull out those trapped. Six people died in the incident, while several others were rescued from the rubble.

Risk ignored

According to police, the FIR was registered on Sunday at Mankhurd police station under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint was lodged by Mohammad Mukhtar Abdul Ali Sheikh, 53, a resident of New Mandala, Mankhurd. Sheikh's complainant alleges that the building had been constructed without complying with the required safety norms, and that those responsible were aware that the structure had become dangerous over the past few days but deliberately ignored the risk.

No safety measures

Sheikh also alleged that adequate safety measures hadn't been taken for the adjoining hut despite the danger posed by the building.

Two arrested

The police have booked the building owner, the contractor associated with the construction, the owner of the adjoining hut, other private individuals, and government officials who allegedly knowingly facilitated or encouraged the unauthorised construction. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case. Police are investigating further to ascertain the role of everyone involved in the illegal construction and whether negligence by public officials contributed to the tragedy.

Playdate turns fatal for visiting friend

The building collapsed on the neighbouring Shah family home, claiming six lives. The victims were identified as Soni Moinuddin Shah, 32, and her four children - Muskan, 14, Munaf, 7, Nihal,6, and Nabiya,2. Also among the dead was Aliya Shaikh, 7, the little girl from next door who had walked into the Shah household to spend the evening playing with her friends. The lone survivor linked to the collapse is 24-year-old Rehan Ali, who sustained a fracture and was admitted to Rajawadi Hospital.

Dr Bharati Rajulwala, deputy medical superintendent and senior medical officer at Rajawadi Hospital, said, "Rehan Ali was brought to the hospital with injuries. As per the information available with us, he was passing through the area when the building collapsed. He is conscious, his condition is stable, and he is currently under observation."

[popcorn number="8.30 pm" desc="Time the building collapsed on Sunday" class="Default"]

- Abhitash Singh