Slab in Mumbai house collapses, injures 12-year-old boy

A 12-year-old boy, Ishan Misal, was gravely injured when a part of the ceiling collapsed on top of him in his house at Government Colony, Bandra (East), around 3:30 am on Thursday morning.

Ishan’s parents, who are government employees, have registered a police complaint against state’s Public Works Department (PWD) for failing to maintain the quarters over the years.

“The slab fell on my son’s head in the middle of the night. He has four stitches on his head and his right hand is injured. He has an exam on Friday,” said Pramila Misal, a resident since the last 15 years.

“The PWD is making repairs in the house now, but temporary repairs are not enough,” she added.

Thousands of families have been living in the 60-year-old structures in the Colony with fear. PWD officials had said the lifespan of 2,300 houses would be increased by using advanced technology before building new towers for the government employees.

In a separate incident at Satish Compound, Grant Road, a fire broke out in a timber mart at around 9:40am. No injuries were reported.

The fire was brought under control by 10:18am and doused by 10:40am, said officials from the disaster management department. The fire affected a furniture shop and a garage in the compound.