Thane building collapse toll goes up to 56; over60 injured

Mangaloretoday/DHNS

Mumbai, April 4, 2013: T5:  Even as the death toll in Thursday evening’s seven-storey building collapse rose to 56, two officials were suspended Friday for not heeding complaints regarding the unauthorised structure.

The dead include 19 children (7 boys and 12 girls), 20 males and 16 women. 61 people have been injured in the collapse, said an NDRF official.

 

Civic and police officials said that Deputy Municipal Commissioner Deepak Chavan and Senior Police Inspector K.P. Naik of Shil-Daighar Police Station had been suspended.

"Another official, the ward officer of the zone, was suspended in January by the civic commissioner for laxity in acting against complaints of unauthorised structures," a civic official said.

Thane (Maharashtra), Apr 5:  Even as the death toll in Thursday evening’s seven-storey building collapse rose to 55, two officials were suspended Friday for not heeding complaints regarding the unauthorised structure.
The dead include 19 children (7 boys and 12 girls), 20 males and 16 women. 61 people have been injured in the collapse, said an NDRF official.

Civic and police officials told IANS that Deputy Municipal Commissioner Deepak Chavan and Senior Police Inspector K.P. Naik of Shil-Daighar Police Station had been suspended.

"Another official, the ward officer of the zone, was suspended in January by the civic commissioner for laxity in acting against complaints of unauthorised structures," a civic official said

 Patil visited the spot.Termed as one of the worst building disasters in the state in the past decade, activists from the area said that there were scores of such building in the Mumbra-Kalyan region due to the builder-officials-police-politicians nexus.
Thane houses many heavy industries.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) legislator from the area Ramesh Patil alleged that the municipal commissioner did not pay heed to his complaints about the building being unauthorised and unfit for occupation.

There were around 35 families residing in the building.

Local activist Mangal Patil had also registered repeated complaints with the Thane Municipal Corporation about the unauthorised structure, but to no avail. Speaking to mediapersons, Mangal Patil claimed that there were over 100 such buildings in the area.