New Delhi: Seventeen persons were killed after a four-storey collapsed building in Mumbai's Kurla last night, reported news agency ANI adding that search operation was underway to look for more people trapped under the debris by teams of National Disaster Response Force. A wing of the building, located in Kurla’s Naik Nagar Society, collapsed around midnight, the official said, adding the connected wing was likely to collapse. Injured people were rushed to the hospital and nine people have been discharged after primary treatment.
"I have requested the fire bridge and NDRF to carry out the operation (search and rescue operation) carefully as there could be some people alive inside. The civic body will conduct a probe," said BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.
An ex gratia of rupees five lakh will be given to the families of deceased and free treatment will be provided to injured, said Maharshtra minister Subhash Desai. "Rs 5 lakh to be given to the family of the deceased & the injured will be given free treatment. The incident will be investigated & action will be taken against those responsible. A meeting has been called to ensure that such incident doesn't happen again," the minister said.
Fire brigade personnel received information from the locals that around 20-22 people were trapped under the debris when they reached the spot after receiving a call about the incident, the official said. Around a dozen fire engines were pressed to the spot besides two rescue vans and other fire brigade equipments.