Thane building collapse near Mumbai kills 38,traps scores

At least 20 children are stuck inside the debris,said a disaster management official.

Eight members of a family died in the incident,leaving behind only one survivor – a minor child.

Other deceased included 12 men,some of whom were construction workers,ten children and eight women.

A pregnant woman,identified as Shakila Imran Siddiqui,was among the deceased,Thane civic officials said. The remaining bodies are yet to be identified.

The Daighar police have registered a case against builders Salil and Khalil Jamadar under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC,police said,adding that efforts were on to trace them.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar are likely to visit the site today.

According to a construction worker,Shanti Jadhav,while they were calling it a day last evening and planning to return home,the contractor asked them to unload bricks from trucks.

The workers stayed back and started unloading bricks after the contractor threatened to beat them and at that time the building came crashing down,Jadhav alleged.

The seven-storey illegal under-construction structure,located in Shil Phata area between Mumbra and Dombivli townships,collapsed at around 6.30 pm yesterday.

The injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Thane and some have been shifted to Mumbai’s JJ and Sion Hospitals for better treatment,police said.

Relief and rescue operations are being carried out under the supervision of Civic Commissioner R A Rajeev and District Collector P Velarasu.

MNS legislator from Kalyan township of Thane,Ramesh Patil alleged that he had complained to the municipal commissioner last week that the building was unauthorised and unfit for occupation,but no action was taken.

Civic officials said the building was unauthorised. They claimed that it was built on forest land and was occupied at least up to the fourth floor. The first four floors had residences and offices that were occupied at the time of the collapse. Workers also were adding four more floors and had finished three before the building fell.

There were around 35 families residing in the building,they said.