Mumbai building collapse
A building collapse near Colaba, Mumbai killed one and injured six. [Representational Image]Reuters

One person died and five others were injured after the roof of an under-construction building in a slum of Mumbai collapsed on Saturday (12 July).

In the Ganesh Murti Nagar area of Colaba, a building tumbled down at around 11.30 am killing an 18-year-old boy Mashroof Shaikh, according to the Hindustan Times.

The injured have been taken to the nearby St George Hospital. The rescue work has been carried out by the fire brigade officers, according to news reports.

The incessant rainfall in the city is being speculated as the main reason behind the building collapse, however, the actual reason is still awaited, according to news reports.

Not the First Incident

This is not the first incident of building collapse in Mumbai, which occurs mostly during monsoon season.

  • Almost a year back on 11 June 2013, a four-storey building on Cadell Road collapsed leaving seven dead and six others injured.
  • In a major accident, a five-storey building collapsed in the Mazagaon area, killing 61 and injuring 32, the incident occurred after renovation of the building.
  • On 14 March 2014, a seven-storey building in the western suburbs of Santa Cruz crumbled down taking lives of seven people and injuring four. The building was declared dilapidated in 2008.

In 2014, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared that 400 buildings are facing threat of collapsing, which are more than 30 years old. Eviction notices have been issued to all the residents, however, BMC find it difficult to repair them as the owners refuse to vacate from the buildings.

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in May this year declared that eight buildings are at the threat of collapsing. The MHADA decided to demolish three and repair the rest.