IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Aug. 26:
The death toll in the Tarique Garden building crash in Mahad town in Raigad in Konkan region, rose to 14 with 8 more bodies recovered from the rubble while a 4-year-old boy was among the 83 survivors, police and NDRF said.
Located in the Kajalpura area, the Tarique Garden residential building(Ground +Four floors) – with 21 flats in A-Wing and 20 in B-Wing – had a total of 97 residents, which suddenly came crashing down on Monday around 7 pm, in Mahad town, about 170 kms south of Mumbai, creating panic in the area.
While initially two bodies were retrieved after the incident, 12 more bodies were retrieved from the debris till late Tuesday might. The dead include 7 men, 5 women and two minor children (sisters Rukaiyya Bangi (2) and Ayesha Bangi (6). 83 persons were rescued safely,” a Raigad Police official said.
On Tuesday, the rescue teams of NDRF, SDRF, Raigad Police and Fire Brigade achieved a miraculous breakthrough, digging out a 4-year-old boy alive from the debris after 18 hours. Identified as Mohammed N. Bangi, he appeared shocked and shaken but sustained only minor injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Similarly 60 year old woman-Mehrunisaa Ali Kazi (60 ) was also rescued from the debris by Tuesday evening.
Relief & Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that a compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be given to next of the kin of those died and the government will bear the expenses of medical treatment of those injured. Besides, the injured will be given Rs 25,000 to meet immediate expenses.
Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde who visited the site, ordered a thorough probe into the incident. “Stringent action will be taken against all those found guilty. We shall also carry out a structural audit of all old and dilapidated structures in the state to prevent recurrences of such tragedies,” Shinde told media persons.
The Raigad police has registered a case against the contractor of the building Yunus Shaikh and five others, under Sections 304, 304 A, 337, 338 and 34 IPC. They include: the builder, the architect, the RCC consultant, the contractor and the then CEO of the Mahad Nagarparishad body and the chief engineer, who are the persons usually held accountable in such tragedies. A team of Mahad Police will be reaching Mumbai to arrest the builder and contractor who constructed the building, soon.
