By IANS,
Mumbai : At least 20 people, including eight children, were killed and nearly 60 people were injured when two buildings collapsed in south Mumbai Wednesday following heavy rains, officials said.
The four-storey 70-year-old Rangoli building, on the Datta Mandir road in the congested Bhendi Bazaar area, came crashing down around 5.30 a.m., catching most victims unaware in their sleep.
While the fire brigade managed to rescue around 30 people trapped in the debris, intermittent rains hampered rescue and relief work. The injured were rushed to J.J. Hospital.
Three families – the Chaurasias, Salunkhes and Chauhans – lost a many of their members in the tragedy. The 20 dead include four men, eight women and eight children.
The police have registered a case of negligence against Bharat Jain, the owner of the building, who is absconding. The four-storeyed structure urgenty needed repairs, officials said.
Barely a couple of hours later, the building collapse in Bhendi Bazzar, a balcony of the Antonio D’Silva School in the Byculla area came crashing down on students attending classes on a lower floor.
At least 24 children suffered minor injuries and were admitted to the J.J. Hospital, fire officials said.
These are the two first major building crashes in Mumbai this monsoon in the vulnerable southern parts of the city where some of the oldest structures precariously stand. The two affected buildings were located barely two kilometres apart.