Under-repair building collapses in Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar; two dead, two still missing

Two persons were killed and two more are feared trapped in the debris after a portion a building collapsed in Mumbai’s iconic Zaveri Bazar area on Friday afternoon, media reports said. According to ANI the body of 22-year-old Firoz Khana was found by the fire brigade official at first, later another body was recovered, taking the death toll up to two. Two more people remain missing and the rescue operations are underway. A fire engine, a rescue van, an ambulance along with fire brigade personnel are deployed at the site for rescue work.

Mumbai: Site of collapse of front portion of a building in Zaveri Bazaar. 2 people are missing in the incident, one person was injured. pic.twitter.com/43lbLZUMqm

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017

Fire Brigade officials said that the slab of the five-storeyed building collapsed and brought down with it the common passage of the first, second, third and fourth floors of the building. The incident happened at around 2:30 pm at Sam Street in the area. The building, which belonged to the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHADA), was undergoing repair when the collapse occurred, DNA reported. PS Rahangdale, chief of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said that at the time of the incident ten labourers were working on the fourth floor of the building and six labourers were working on 1st floor. Twelve people were rescued by the fire brigade, while four people were feared trapped in the debris. Two of the four missing were later confirmed dead. Rahangdale said that narrow lanes and congestion was hampering the work of fire brigade personnel at the site. Zaveri Bazar is the centre of the city’s bullion market and sees heavy traffic and pedestrian footfalls every day. With inputs from PTI