Saira Banu and Ahmed Hussain Ansari recall the horror at 3:30 am when a landslide occurred at Gaushiya Chawl in Mumbai's Kurla. (Screengrabs from Express Videos by Pratip Acharya)
Before the first fire brigade vehicle could reach the landslide site in Kurla’s Ashok Nagar on Wednesday morning, residents were already digging through the rubble with their bare hands, shovels and spades, trying to reach neighbours trapped beneath collapsed homes.
Around 4 am, Naseer Hussain was jolted awake by screams from outside. Initially he ignored, thinking his neighbours were involved in a quarrel. It was only when he stepped out that he realised they were cries for help.
Several homes adjoining the cliff were buried after a portion of the hillock collapsed. Hussain and other residents immediately began clearing the rubble.
Heavy rain triggers landslides in Ghatkopar; seven killed, including three children, while seven others sustain injuries as hillside debris crashes onto houses. Express photo by Deepak Joshi
“We could hear screams from under the rubble. We didn’t think about anything else and jumped into the debris and started pulling out those trapped,” Hussain told The Indian Express.
The landslide was reported to the BMC disaster management cell at 3.48 am. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Mumbai Fire Brigade and BMC were subsequently deployed.
But the terrain posed a challenge. Ambulances and cranes could not reach the site, forcing rescuers to climb through steep and narrow lanes. The fire brigade reached the spot around 5 am, followed by the NDRF and civic teams.
By then, local residents had spent nearly an hour digging through the debris.
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“Houses were buried under rubble, stones and mud. We had to use a shovel to manually dig a passage through the debris, from where the victims were pulled out. During the rescue, Sohel was hit on the head by the corner of a rock, while Sajid and Naimuddin sustained spinal injuries after a portion of their roof fell directly them,” Hussain said, referring to those who were rescued — Sajid Ansari, 16, Sohel Ansari, 18, and Naimuddin Iqbal Khan.
Residents had to carry the injured on their shoulders down the hill as vehicles could not navigate the narrow, winding lanes. They were initially taken to a private hospital and were later shifted to Rajawadi and Bhabha hospitals.
“The private hospital refused to admit them without an advance payment, and the expenses were coming to nearly Rs 9,000 per day. We could not afford such an expensive hospital and had to rush them to Bhabha Hospital, which was around 30 minutes away,” said Ahmed Ansari, another resident.
He said residents managed to rescue around 12 people, including two-year-old Aban Arif Shaikh, who died on the way to Rajawadi Hospital after private hospital allegedly refused treatment.
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Another resident, Tarannum Ali, 50, was among those pulled out by neighbours. She said 12 members of her family were inside their shanty when the landslide struck.
“We were asleep when the roof came crashing down. We couldn’t see anything because it was pitch dark. Within half an hour, our neighbours came and pulled us out,” Ali said.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
Heavy rain triggers landslides in Ghatkopar; seven killed, including three children, while seven others sustain injuries as hillside debris crashes onto houses. Express photo by Deepak Joshi