Business Standard

Thane building crash: Death toll climbs to 72, no arrests yet

A case has been registered against builders Salil and Khalil Jamadar under Sec 304 of IPC but no arrests have been made so far in the case

Press Trust of India Thane
The death toll in the seven-storey building collapse has mounted to 72 even as rescuers continued to scour the site for more bodies and survivors, the Disaster Control Room said today.

According to Regional Disaster Management Control (RDMC) sources, 72 people including 33 men, 22 women and 17 children, while around 60 injured have been admitted to hospitals in Thane, Kalwa and Mumbra.

The seriously injured have been shifted to JJ and Sion Hospitals in Mumbai.

A 65-year-old woman, identified as Kutibi Shaikh, was rescued after being trapped for almost 30 hours, they said. She was admitted to the CSM hospital here last night in a state of shock but is stable, doctors attending on her said.
 
At the collapse site, another survivor Shabnam told reporters that she had received a distress call on her mobile phone from a young teacher around 3 pm yesterday saying that she was trapped alongwith six-seven students, but lost contact thereafter.

The fate of the teacher and students is still not known.

Heartbreaking tales like a male survivor losing 13 of his family members have unfolded, as rescuers looked for survivors and bodies in the debris of bricks, mortar and twisted steel.

Earlier, the National Disaster Response Force, pressed into service to assist the local police and civic administration, had rescued 59 people.

A case has been registered against builders Salil and Khalil Jamadar under Sec 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), police control room said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had yesterday told the Maharashtra Assembly that the local deputy municipal commissioner and senior police inspector were suspended.

An additional chief secretary level probe has been ordered, he said.

The illegal structure, which was under-construction, collapsed in Shil Phata area at around 6.30 pm on Thursday. Shil Phata is located between Mumbra and Dombivli in Thane district.

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First Published: Apr 06 2013 | 1:09 PM IST

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