Mumbai: Landslide strikes residential area; evacuation underway

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/stck.me/picto

A landslide incident was reported in the early hours of 25th July 2023 at Ram Baug Cooperative Housing Society on Mahakali Road, near Gurunanak School, Andheri (East). The incident was promptly reported by CP Control, and authorities swung into action to address the situation.

According to the information received from Shri Sable, a Junior Engineer in Maintenance (JE-Maint), a significant amount of soil and stones fell from the hilly area behind a G+7 structure building within the society, says BMC's release. The building houses a total of 168 rooms, and in response to the potential danger, authorities have undertaken the evacuation process.

The local civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), swiftly mobilized its Municipal Fire Brigade (MFB) along with the Police and Ward Staff to manage the situation. As of the latest update at 03:14 hrs, no injuries have been reported.

Raigad landslide

Meanwhile, on Sunday night, a heavy downpour and the deafening sound of rain hitting the containers' leaky metal roofs left the Raigad landslide survivors sleepless in their makeshift accommodations. These almost-to-be-scrapped containers have been allotted to the victims, serving as temporary homes for the next three months.

Speaking to mid-day, Madhav Maruti Supak, 24, recounted his survival amidst the tragedy. Unfortunately, his uncle and 11 other family members, including three-year-old Devika (alias Kinda), could not be saved. Only two out of the 11 bodies, including that of the three-year-old and his uncle Kirshad Pirkad, 28, have been recovered from the debris.

The survivors faced various challenges in the containers. Leaky roofs kept them awake during the rain, while no provisions were made for showers or warm water. Sunil Parde, 25, another survivor, also expressed discomfort with the half-cooked khichdi served for dinner on Sunday. However, the situation improved slightly with better meals on Monday. "We have been told that we will have to stay in the container for the next three months, till we get our permanent houses which will be constructed within 90 days, and hopefully till then we will have to manage with what we have," said Sunil.

Highly placed sources informed mid-day that the local administration had sought 2 containers from two well known shipping companies, but they didn't take the ones provided, as they had managed to arrange the required containers. Around 41 containers have been placed for accommodating the survivors, police, health officials, etc.