A portion of a slab of a fifth-floor flat of a residential building in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, collapsed onto a fourth-floor flat on Tuesday, triggering panic among residents.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) confirmed.
The incident occurred at Woodland Co-operative Housing Society, located at Plot No 63 in Sector 16A. According to NMMC’s Regional Disaster Management Cell, the slab from the fifth floor gave way and crashed into the hall of a fourth-floor apartment.
Soon after the incident, the Nerul Fire Brigade rushed to the spot and initiated rescue and evacuation operations. As a precautionary measure, the entire building was evacuated to avoid any further risk to residents. Fire personnel, along with civic officials and staff, ensured that all occupants were safely moved out.
21 families shifted as officials order structural audit of Nerul building
Authorities stated that a total of 21 families were residing in the building. Following the evacuation, some residents have been temporarily shifted to a facility at Kuksheth, Sector 14, near the ward committee office in a newly constructed market building. Others have chosen to stay with their relatives until further notice.
Civic officials are expected to conduct a structural audit of the building to assess the extent of damage and determine its safety for future habitation. The exact cause of the slab collapse is yet to be ascertained.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the structural safety of ageing buildings in Navi Mumbai, prompting calls for timely audits and preventive maintenance to avoid such mishaps.
