Mumbai: Five booked over death of three workers in Malad slab collapse incident

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Five people, including the contractors, have been booked over the deaths of three workers in a slab collapse incident at a construction building in Navjeevan SRA Society of Malad East, the Dindoshi police in Mumbai informed.

A case has been registered under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in the case. However, no arrests have been made yet, the police stated.

The incident, in which three other labourers also suffered injuries, took place on Thursday noon, reported news agency PTI.

When the labourers were working on the 21st floor of an under-construction building, the slab of the structure suddenly collapsed.

A 46-year-old woman narrowly escaped by jumping to safety moments before the slab came down.

Following the incident, residents gathered outside the society, blocking the road and demanding the immediate arrest of builder Devendra Pandey and others involved.

The deceased labourers were identified as Vinod Keshav Savor, 26, from Keripura, Odisha; Peleib Karadoline, 22, from Bangalore; and Subhan Jalil Sheikh, 26, from West Bengal. According to the police, all six labourers fell onto a safety net from the 21st floor. However, despite their efforts to cling to the net, they ultimately fell to the ground.

Residents quickly transported the injured to nearby hospitals. Two were pronounced dead on arrival, while the other four, critically injured, were admitted to Trauma Care at Jogeshwari and Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli. Initially, the injured were taken to MW Desai Hospital, where two were declared dead.

Rahelakhatun Sheikh, the wife of one of the injured workers, Milan Kayyumdin Sheikh, told mid-day: "After being informed by locals, I rushed to the spot and found my husband in the hospital. His leg was broken in two places, and he suffered multiple injuries to his hand, back, head, and leg. He is in critical condition, and doctors say the next 24 hours are crucial. We have a three-month-old child. He has since been transferred to Cooper Hospital."

Residents had previously filed multiple complaints with the Dindoshi police regarding the builder's failure to provide a separate passage for SRA and private society members. Recently, the developer also cut off partial water and lift services, demanding maintenance charges that members refused to pay. A non-cognisable report was filed at the Dindoshi police station. According to society members, Pandey had promised various amenities but failed to deliver.

(With PTI inputs)