Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Jul 18: Tragedy struck the bustling suburb of Bandra East in Mumbai on Friday morning after a three-storey chawl came crashing down, leaving several residents trapped under the debris. The collapse occurred at chawl number 37 in the Bharat Nagar locality around 5:56 AM, reportedly following a cylinder explosion.

According to BMC officials and Mumbai Police, twelve people have so far been rescued and rushed to the nearby Bhabha Hospital for treatment. However, officials fear at least seven more individuals may still be buried beneath the rubble as frantic rescue operations continue.

Fire brigade personnel, accompanied by eight fire engines, along with teams from the Mumbai Police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have launched an extensive search and rescue mission. “Efforts are underway to locate those still missing. All necessary emergency services have been deployed,” a fire department official informed.

The chaotic scenes at Bharat Nagar have left local residents in shock, as rescuers sift through mangled remains of the chawl structure in hopes of finding survivors.

Meanwhile, a separate building collapse tragedy rocked the Welcome area of northeast Delhi early Saturday, claiming the lives of six members of the same family, including a two-year-old girl. The four-storey building crumbled in the early hours, burying the residents under concrete and debris.

The deceased included Abdul Matloob (50), his wife Rabia (46), sons Javed (23) and Abdulla (15), daughter Zubia (27), and granddaughter Fozia (2). Eight others were injured, including four members from a neighbouring house.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the Delhi collapse even as the nation mourns yet another tragic loss of life due to structural failures.

With the monsoon season in full swing and aging urban infrastructure under increasing stress, civic bodies are under growing pressure to act swiftly on structural audits and public safety measures.