Thane: Lift hurtles 40 floors down, leaving six workers dead

The six workers who died in the lift mishap in Thane

Six workers were killed and one was injured after a lift in an under-construction building in the Balkum area of Thane collapsed at 5.35 pm on Sunday. The lift cable snapped when the seven workers had reached the 40th floor.

The lift is meant to ferry labourers working at the site between three basement levels and 40-plus floors. "OF the seven, six died on the spot, while one survivor was rushed to Nipun hospital in Thane where he is currently under observation. The bodies of six workers have been sent to the Thane Civil Hospital for a post-mortem exam," DCP Amar Jadhav said, adding that an FIR will be registered in this matter.

The deceased have been identified as Mahendra Chaupal, 32, Rupesh Das, 21, Harun Sheikh, 47, Mithilesh, 35 and Karidas, 38, while one labourer remained unidentified. The injured man has been identified as Sunil Das, 21.

The mangled remains of the lift

Former corporator Sanjay Bhoir who rushed to the spot first to help victims said that the scene looked horrible. "This accident has happened due to negligence. I got to know that the certificate stating that the lift is fit was obtained from the government authority just three days ago. Then how can this incident have happened?" he questioned. Bhoir further asserted that it is imperative that there is an inquiry into the incident and appropriate action taken. "Since it is a big project, it is necessary to have doctors and ambulances on site, but, there was no such facility," Bhoir told mid-day.