Portion of 45-yr-old abandoned bldg collapses on Carter Road; no casualties

Local authorities and emergency services rushed to the site to assess the situation and ensure the safety of nearby residents. The damaged portion of the compound wall was cordoned off, and officials are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any further collapse or accidents

Mumbai: Clouds of dust engulfed the air after half a portion of ground plus 11-storeyed Dev Sagar building, abandoned for about 45 years at Carter Road, in Bandra, came crashing down on Sunday around 7.15am.

Mumbai, India - July 30, 2023 : This morning, half of Portion, a 12-storeyed Dev Sagar building, abandoned for about 45 years, came crashing down, due to which some parts of the compound wall broke. Fortunately no casualties have been reported at Carter Road, Bandra, in Mumbai, India, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

Amaia Tahilramani, a resident of Pali Hill in Bandra, was on her morning jog at Carter Road when she saw parts of the front facade of the building collapsing and raining rubble down the road.

“It started falling slowly and upon realising that huge chunks of the building would come down, 10 to 15 people, including me, ran to the other side for safety,” said Amaia.

She then called the fire brigade at 7.26am. Debris from the collapse had littered one half of the Carter Road, till the divider.

Local authorities and emergency services rushed to the site to assess the situation and ensure the safety of nearby residents. The damaged portion of the compound wall was cordoned off, and officials are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any further collapse or accidents.

“Two to three floors of the ground plus 11-floor building collapsed. There were no casualties or injuries. The building department will now decide what to do next,” said an official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.

The building has posed a hazard for neighbouring residents and passersby for a while. Debbie Fernandez, a resident of a bungalow next to the building, said, “The building is on the access road to Carter Road for people from Shirley, Bandra West. There’s also a primary school next to it. Had that slab collapsed on a Monday morning, it would have been fatal for students and commuters.”

“The building has been vacant since the 1970s because it has been stuck in court cases,” her husband Carl Fernandes added.

According to Debbie’s account, slabs of the building have fallen on the road previously too. One such fall around five years ago injured the now-deceased watchman of the building, skinning one-half of his face. When more parts fell around a year ago, a scaffolding net was put up on the side of the building.

Despite repeated attempts, the builder of the abandoned structure and BMC officials could not be reached for comments. “The building is at the seaside, exposed to strong winds and rain. It’s obvious the structure will weaken,” said Debbie. “It will be a big blessing for us if it is demolished.”

“A neighbour informed us of the collapse in the morning, and we are very concerned. The fitness of this building has never been good,” said a neighbouring resident, Akbar Gandhi.