Six killed in Maharashtra wall collapse

THANE - Six people, including three children, were crushed to death and two were injured as a wall collapsed on them due to a landslip in Mumbra township of Thane district, police said Thursday.

The accident took place Thursday evening at Sainik Nagar chawl. “Members of two families were crushed in the wall collapse. As per initial reports, the land on which the wall was built slipped owing to heavy rains. This made the wall come crashing down,” said senior police inspector Anil Deshmukh.

Those killed are Shantidevi Yadav, 30, Vibha Patel, 20, Reema Patel, 25, Raj Patel, Amit Patel and a five-year-old girl who has not been identified. “Raj and Amit are aged three and five,” Deshmukh said.

Those injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. Three people are feared buried under the debris.

hane Municipal Corporation Commissioner R.A. Rajeev said the residents of the chawl will be shifted out to ensure their safety.

“Residents of the chawl will be shifted to a nearby municipal school and their food and other necessities will be taken care of for a few days,” Rajeev said.

This is the fourth such incidence in the last three months and the second in three days. The collapse of Sonibai Bhavan Tuesday had left ten people dead.

Residents of Babu Hafiz Zindani Apartments had to shift to a transit camp Aug 2, as their building collapsed after developing cracks. Vilas Apartments in the same area had tilted and the residents were shifted out June 20. There were no deaths in these two incidents.