Kalyan: Physically challenged mother killed as she could not move

Three people died after school wall collapsed on shanties lining it in Kalyan

Threee residents of Kalyan died after a wall of National Urdu School, opposite Durgadi Fort in Kalyan West, collapsed around midnight on Tuesday. Around 200 youngsters came together to rescue the injured. One of the dead women was physically challenged and hence could not move quickly to save herself.

The three dead have been identified as Shobha Kamble,60, Karina Mohammad Chand, 25 and 3-year-old Hussein Mohammad Chand. Arti Raju Kardile, 16, suffered severe injuries in the wall collapse. The injured were rushed to Kalyan's Rukminibai civic hospital.

The wall that collapsed on the hutments

The rescue team immediately reached the spot and started rescue operations. The bodies were pulled out of the debris by rescue teams of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) fire team, the local police and civic officials and more than 200 youngsters.

Akbar Shaikh, a resident, said, "We heard a loud sound and rushed out to see the wall had collapsed on three small houses. We called the police and fire brigade and till they reached the spot, more than 200 youngsters had gathered and started removing debris."

Residents living here work in tabelas nearby and have all illegally occupied this area. Karina Chand's husband had recently left her and she had started a small business selling biscuits and sweets from home as well as cleaned tabelas. Her sister Rahima Sayyed said, "All my sister wanted was to live happily with her child, but her dreams were snuffed out in seconds."

Khalib Mulla, a resident, said, "This wall had collapsed two years ago, too. The school should have done something about it." Shamin Jowne, a school spokesperson, said, "These shanties are illegal. Despite complaints, these were never removed. We are not to blame. They have ruined the base of the wall by digging around it." KDMC Commissioner Govind Bodke said, "Our team has immediately took action and removed all families from the place."

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