Mumbai Rains: 15-Yr-Old Girl Trapped Under Debris Dies; Malad Wall Collapse Death Toll Rises To 21

Efforts by rescue workers in the Pimpripada area of north Mumbai to get a 15-year- old girl out of the debris of a wall which collapsed, proved futile as she was brought out dead.

Rescue operations in progress at the site where a portion of a compound wall collapsed and many shanties were washed away due to incessant rain, in Pimpripada of Malad East, Mumbai, Tuesday, July 02, 2019. (PTI Photo)

MUMBAI: Efforts by rescue workers in the Pimpripada area of north Mumbai to get a 15-year- old girl out of the debris of a wall which collapsed, proved futile as she was brought out dead. The toll in the wall collapse tragedy rose to 19. The body of the girl, Sanchita Ganore, was brought out of the debris in the afternoon, almost 12 hours after she was trapped beneath it. A doctor on the spot, according to PTI, said the medical team tried their best but couldn't save her. "Her legs were stuck in the debris, so it took long to rescue her. We tried our best to bring her up alive but could not," he was quoted as saying by the news agency. Sanchita had been crying for help and asking for water, said a rescue worker. "Shortly after the wall collapsed, we rescued a child from underneath the debris. This girl Sanchita had been crying for help since 2 am," the worker, a local resident, said. "Mujhe bahar nikalo," had been her repeated plea, he said. The girl's cry for help from under the debris set off a massive rescue effort. Sanchita's faint voice could be heard calling out for water to drink. Efforts were made to cut a small section of the wall and clear a path for the girl to escape. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier in the day announced Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased. "The government promises housing for all but does not do anything. Lives have been lost. It should rehabilitate us now," said resident Mahindra Singh. Political parties, who regularly line up for votes, also came under fire as the residents, trying to come to terms with the tragedy, spoke in huddles at the site. "They come here for votes but no one listens to us. Once elections are over, they disappear. They have done nothing for us," resident Suresh Patil said. "These political parties have a use and throw attitude towards us," said Pramod Pawar, another local. Residents said 60-70 hutments got damaged in the wall collapse, and demanded adequate compensation from the authorities.