Eye surgeon left her clinic in building three hours before it collapsed at 2 pm yesterday
Eye surgeon left her clinic in building three hours before it collapsed at 2 pm yesterday
The Sanmukh Sadan collapse in Ulhasnagar yesterday could have ended on a more gruesome note for the three families living in the illegal building.
The 13-year-old building, which had been vacated by all but three of the around 20 families who lived there to facilitate repairs, collapsed at 2 pm yesterday.
The collapse left Swati Gaikwad (25), a maidservant, dead. Six were seriously injured.
Kiran Mangnani (28), an eye surgeon, who runs a hospital in the building, left the building at 11 am to visit her in-laws. Three hours later the building collapsed.
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ALL FALL DOWN: Sanmukh Sadan, the 13-year-old building in Ulhasnagar, collapsed yesterday killing one and injuring six others. |
"I lived in the building but moved out when the repair work began. However, I kept my clinic open. I closed early on Friday because I had no patients.
Thank God, I left or I would have been dead by now," said Mangnani.
Yet another resident Chandan K and his family, who were on the second floor of the building at the time of the collapse, had a near miraculous escape.
"I was taking a nap after lunch. One moment, I was sleeping peacefully. The next, I was buried under a mesh of iron rods and debris for over 15 minutes till I was rescued.
Three more hours passed before my mother and sister were rescued," said Chandan.
Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashok Bagesh said municipal civil engineers had warned the residents to repair the crack in the rear section of the building if they wanted to ward off an imminent collapse.
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"The residents had been warned that the building would fall. As predicted, on the very first day of repairs, the building collapsed," said Bagesh.
Kumar Alani, the mayor of Ulhasnagar, said, "We think there are more people under the debris. We are working hard to clear the rubble as soon as possible."
Eyewitness SaysPriya Ramchandran (32), was cooking for her family in her home in another building when Sanmukh Sadan collapsed.
"There was a deafening crash and the building collapsed like a pack of cards. I was covered in dust, so was everything around me, including the food, and furniture," she said.
More CollapsesMarch 2006: Seven schoolchildren and a teacher suffered injuries after a 12-ft compound wall of an under-construction building at Sec 25 of Camp No 4, Ulhasnagar, collapsed
March 1999: A residential building Saideep Palace collapsed in lane number 4, injuring almost 28 families
855The number of unauthorised buildings in Ulhasnagar as per the Bombay High Court
