Mumbai building collapse toll zooms to 18, 14 injured

Mumbai, June 28 (IANS) The toll in the Mumbai building crash tragedy catapulted to 18, while at least 14 others, including a woman, were reported injured, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Tuesday.

According to the officials, the entire wing of the ground-plus-three floor Naik Nagar Building in Kurla east suburb of northeast Mumbai crashed minutes before midnight, trapping many persons living there.

Earlier this evening, the rescuers had extricated 23 persons trapped under the debris, including 10 dead and another 13 injured (all adult males).

The injured were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and LTMG Hospital in Sion.

As work continues amid intermittent showers to clear the mound of rubble, 8 more bodies were recovered and several more injured survivors who were shifted to the hospitals.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced an ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 to the kin of each deceased and directed that all the injured persons should be given treatment at government expense.

Industry Minister Subhash Desai, top officials of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and police officials visited the site to guide and supervise the rescue operations.

The rescue teams of State Disaster Management Authority, Mumbai Fire Brigade , police besides local volunteers, who joined the rescue efforts there have expressed a potential risk to the adjoining second wing of the same building which could also collapse anytime.

The fatalities who have been identified so far are: Ajay M. Pasnor, 28, Ajinkya Gaikwad, 34, Kumar Prajapati, 20, Sikandar Rajbhor, 21, Anoop Rajbhor, 18, Arvind R. Bharti, 19, Anil Yadav, 21, Shyam Prajapati, 18, and two others unidentified men.

Among the 32 injured, including a woman, 10 are admitted to hospital and the remaining have been discharged after treatment, as a hunt continues to extricate others feared buried under the debris. – IANS