Latest Mumbai building collapse kills 5
Source: AFP |
June 23, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A FOUR-STORY building collapsed in Mumbai yesterday, killing five people in the second such incident in as many days and underlining shoddy construction practices in the financial capital of the country.
The dilapidated building, located in a busy market area in suburban Dahisar, was vacated two years ago but local vegetable vendors used it as a night shelter, officials said.
"Five people died when the building collapsed early morning. We are awaiting details," a police spokesman said.
Rescue operations were under way to clear the debris and search through the rubble for survivors.
A local lawmaker said the building had been evacuated in 2011 after it was declared dangerous by the civic authorities but its redevelopment had been hampered by a court dispute.
"It was due to be re-developed but there was a dispute between the owner and tenants ... local vegetable vendors were taking shelter there," Vinod Ghosalkar told reporters.
Ghosalkar said authorities were attending to six people injured in the accident.
This was the fourth building collapse in recent months in the Mumbai area, including one in April that killed 74 people.
Two builders and seven others were arrested in connection with the collapse of the unauthorized, partly finished building after the April accident.
On Friday, an apartment block collapsed in Thane district, killing 10 people including five children in their sleep.
The collapses have highlighted widespread shoddy construction standards in India, where huge demand for housing and corruption often result in cost-cutting and a lack of safety inspections.
Last week, part of a five-story apartment block in central Mumbai caved in and killed 10 people. The accident was blamed on alleged illegal alterations to the structure, exacerbated by heavy monsoon rains.
India's urban housing shortage was estimated at nearly 19 million households in 2012, and in Mumbai the situation is so dire that more than half of its residents live in slums.
The dilapidated building, located in a busy market area in suburban Dahisar, was vacated two years ago but local vegetable vendors used it as a night shelter, officials said.
"Five people died when the building collapsed early morning. We are awaiting details," a police spokesman said.
Rescue operations were under way to clear the debris and search through the rubble for survivors.
A local lawmaker said the building had been evacuated in 2011 after it was declared dangerous by the civic authorities but its redevelopment had been hampered by a court dispute.
"It was due to be re-developed but there was a dispute between the owner and tenants ... local vegetable vendors were taking shelter there," Vinod Ghosalkar told reporters.
Ghosalkar said authorities were attending to six people injured in the accident.
This was the fourth building collapse in recent months in the Mumbai area, including one in April that killed 74 people.
Two builders and seven others were arrested in connection with the collapse of the unauthorized, partly finished building after the April accident.
On Friday, an apartment block collapsed in Thane district, killing 10 people including five children in their sleep.
The collapses have highlighted widespread shoddy construction standards in India, where huge demand for housing and corruption often result in cost-cutting and a lack of safety inspections.
Last week, part of a five-story apartment block in central Mumbai caved in and killed 10 people. The accident was blamed on alleged illegal alterations to the structure, exacerbated by heavy monsoon rains.
India's urban housing shortage was estimated at nearly 19 million households in 2012, and in Mumbai the situation is so dire that more than half of its residents live in slums.
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