21 May,2025 04:55 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
The incident transpired at the Sai Simran building on Tuesday evening at approximately 10 PM in the Achole area of Nalasopara East. Pics/ Hanif Patel
A major slab collapse in a dilapidated building in Nalasopara East left a mother and her teenage son stranded on the fourth floor late Tuesday night. The duo was safely rescued by fire brigade officials of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) using a ladder.
The incident occurred around 10 PM at the Sai Simran Building in the Achole area. The slab of the hall in flat number 404 gave way, and the debris crashed down onto the third floor, trapping Mansi Dilip Patel (47) and her son Aarush Dilip Patel (14) in the kitchen.
Firefighters from the VVCMC promptly responded to the emergency and successfully rescued both individuals.
The Sai Simran Building is a four-storey structure, approximately 13 to 14 years old, comprising 22 residential flats and 3 commercial units, according to VVCMC officials. The sudden collapse triggered panic among the residents.
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"Upon receiving the alert, our team rushed to the site and safely evacuated the trapped residents," said a VVCMC official.
Following the incident, authorities evacuated all 22 flats in the building and arranged temporary accommodation for the displaced families at a nearby Zilla Parishad school.
The incident has reignited concerns about the structural safety of ageing buildings in the city. Residents have voiced anger over the lack of preventive maintenance and timely intervention by civic authorities, calling for stricter inspections and urgent repairs in similar high-risk structures.
In preparation for the upcoming monsoon season, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared 134 buildings in Mumbai as dilapidated this year, a notable decrease compared to previous years.
Of these 134 unsafe structures, 57 have already been vacated, while 77 remain occupied. Civic officials noted that around 56 of these buildings are currently involved in ongoing legal proceedings.
In 2023, 387 buildings were deemed dilapidated, while the number dropped to 188 in 2024. Civic officials credit the decline to more buildings being vacated and demolished over recent years.
In its 2025 survey, the BMC has identified a total of 134 C1 category buildings across Mumbai that are deemed unsafe and unfit for habitation. The highest number of such dilapidated structures - 15 each - have been reported in H/West ward (Bandra, Khar West) and P/South ward (Goregaon). These are followed by 11 buildings each in K/E ward (Andheri East) and N ward (Ghatkopar), 10 in K/West (Andheri West), and 7 buildings each in H/E (Chembur) and P/North (Malad).
Other wards like R/South (Kandivali West) have 8 buildings, while G/N (Dadar-Matunga) and L ward (Kurla) have 6 each. Wards such as A, B, D, F/N, M/W, and S report between 3 to 6 unsafe buildings, whereas C, E, M/E, and T wards have only 1 to 2 such structures. Notably, F/S (F South) and R/C (R Central) wards have no buildings marked under the C1 category this year.
