Six dead after building collapse attributed to vibrations from nearby piling work

The collapse of a four-storey house in Mumbai that killed six people is thought to have been caused by nearby piling work.

The victims were trapped inside the building, which housed three residential and three commercial establishments, when part of the structure collapsed. All the bodies have now been extricated from the rubble, including two children.

Relatives of the victims have alleged that the collapse was caused by vibrations from repair work being carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC) in a nearby structure.

One grieving relative told the Indian paper Deccan Herald: “Piling should have been done from a distance of 15ft but the BMC did it from 5ft. Our family members are dead. BMC is responsible for the collapse.”

BMC commissioner J Pathak admitted that piling work next to the building could be the cause of the collapse.

Repairs had been carried out on the house that collapsed in 1992, officials from Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA) said, and added that the 70-year-old structure came under its building repair and reconstruction board.

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