Ten die in Mumbai building collapse, 3-year-old survives in his grandmother’s arms

JUST THREE years old, wrapped in the arms of his grandmother, Abdul Rehman was among the first to be rescued when a portion of a building, Kesarbai Mansion, in Mumbai’s Dongri area collapsed Tuesday morning.

For doctors who first saw him at the Habib hospital, it was nothing short of a miracle. They found that he had survived with a few scratches. Abdul’s sister Aisha, who is three months old, also survived after their father Nisar held her tight and made his way out of the debris.

That, however, was a rare glimmer of life amid the despair that hung over the debris. Officials confirmed that 10 people, including a 14-year-old boy and his 18-month-old relative, had died and seven others injured after the three-storey building collapsed around 11 am.

Among those dead was Sadiya, the mother of Abdul and Aisha. The government has ordered a probe into the incident with residents claiming that the collapse was triggered by repair work in the basement godown. Kesarbhai Mansion was constructed in 1934, and the portion that collapsed is said to have been added in the 1980s.

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Members of the Sattar family, who were in their third-storey flat, said house-owner Abdul Sattar (55) first noticed dust falling from the ceiling. “He alerted other family members,” said Danish Shaikh, a family member.

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Abdul is the owner’s grandson and was near his grandmother Salma in the flat when the building came down. His sister Aisha was on their father Nisar’s lap. Rescuers said they first heard Sattar’s cry for help from under the debris. Soon, Abdul was found conscious, his face peeping out from his grandmother’s arms. A few feet away, Nisar was rescued along with Aisha.

But then, rescuers dug deeper to find Sattar’s body. “He had suffered a head injury after a boulder fell on his head. He was alone in the drawing room when the building collapsed. His wife and children were lucky, they were in another room,” said Shabana Shaikh, a relative.

On Tuesday evening, Abdul was at JJ Hospital, sipping a fruit drink and smiling at relatives around him. “He has come to meet his grandmother. She saved him and sustained serious injuries,” Shabana said.

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Abdul Shaikh, who stays in the neighbouring building, said Sattar was working to improve the living conditions of the 40-odd residents in the B wing of Kesarbai Mansion that collapsed. “He organised several meetings between the trust that owns the building and contractors. He has been fighting with trust authorities, and working to get contractors for redevelopment of the building. Both the wings of the building were declared unsafe three years ago, but people were still staying here,” said Shaikh.

Safdar Karmali, chairman of Bai Hirabai Rahimbhai Aloo Paroo & Bai Kesharbai Dharmasey Khakoo Charitable & Religious Trust, which owns the building, said: “We had asked them to pay 50 per cent for redevelopment but some of them didn’t agree. This stalled the project.

Two tenants, Abdul Sattar and Sakir, were talking on behalf of the tenants and were in touch with developers. Since the tenants wanted us to bear the entire cost of redevelopment, we were to meet again this week.”

Residents said they had decided to vacate the building in a week following a meeting between Sattar and a contractor. “He (Sattar) told me it is time to leave this building,” said Shaheen Azad, who lost her 13-year-old daughter and brother in the collapse.

Rescuers, meanwhile, found the bodies of Muzammil Salmani (14) and 18-month-old Ibrahim Salmani, who were on the second floor, and that of Kashaf Aamir Azad (14), who was on the first floor, when the building collapsed. “Muzammil was staying in UP and had come for a few days to spend time in Mumbai,” said his father Mansoor, who also lost his elder son Zuber (20).