Dongri Building Collapse: MHADA Admits Building Was Supposed to be Demolished in 2012

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) admitted that the building was supposed to have been demolished in 2012.

New Delhi: In a shocking revelation pertaining to the four-storey Kesarbhai building that collapsed in Dongri area of south Mumbai on Tuesday, it has surfaced that the BMC had issued a notice in 2017 for the building to be evacuated.

Follow live updates on the Mumbai building collapse search and rescue mission.

On the other hand, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) admitted that the building was supposed to have been demolished in 2012.

MHADA Chairman Uday Samant said that the building was owned by the authorities and was supposed to be demolished by a private developer.

In a quote to News18, Samant said, “Strict action will be taken, no one will be spared…the developer and our officials should have seen the work.”

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a letter dated 7 August 2017 on Kesarbhai building that collapsed in Dongri, today: Building is classified as ‘C1’, to be evacuated for demolition at the earliest…In event of any mishap this office won’t be responsible. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/h2XEaV4LxF

— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2019

However, reports suggest that despite BMC’s notice the building failed to make it to the MHADA’s list of dangerous buildings that was issued prior to the 2019 monsoon.

The Kesarbai Building in south Mumbai’s Dongri area collapsed at around 11.30 a.m.

As a precautionary measure, the police evacuated an adjoining building.

The Fire Brigade, police and disaster management teams have rushed to the site and launched rescue operations, while the NDRF reached there and joined them.

Narrow approach roads, huge crowds and thickly populated areas hampered rescue operations.