Fire brigade and NDRF personnel recover bodies following a building collapse at Ghatkopar in Mumbai on Tuesday night. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)
Five days after a four-storeyed building collapsed at Ghatkopar in Mumbai killing 17 people and injuring more than 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for next of kin of those who died and Rs 50,000 for those injured. The building in Siddhi Sai Cooperative Housing Society collapsed due to alterations on ground floor which weakened its foundation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister had earlier announced that the ex-gratia compensation for the victims will be increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh after demands for Rs 10 lakh compensation was raised by Opposition leader Dhananjay Munde in the assembly.
According to the police, the supervisor of the renovation project, Anil Mandal, 28, had suggested main accused Sunil Shitap to carry out a number of modifications in the three flats that he owned on the ground floor of the four-storyed building. Police also identified five more people along with the contractor, interior designer and labourers who were hired by Shitap, a Shiv Sena strongman, to carry out the renovation of the building. A two-member committee led by Additional Municipal Commissioner Vijay Singhal has been told to submit a preliminary inquiry report within 15 days.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the floods in Assam and Rajasthan. He also announced Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured in the floods in the two states, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
