25 families evacuated from Mumbra building after crack discovered in pillar

Mumbra: Around 120 people belonging to 25 families were evacuated from ‘Zoha’, a Mumbra building, after a crack was discovered in one of its pillars on Sunday morning. The 21-year-old building near Moti Baug, Almas Colony, has three flats and two shops on the ground floor and five flats on each of its eight floors. It also houses three mobile towers on the terrace.

An official from the Thane Municipal Corporation’s Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) said that one of the residents had informed the TMC about a crack seen on one of the pillars in the morning. Thereafter, the TMC assistant commissioner, along with an engineer and another official, reached the spot and inspected the building. After a discussion with the residents, the officials evacuated the 25 families staying in the building. Two shops and 18 other flats were unoccupied and locked.

Yasin Tadvi, chief officer in the RDMC, said, “We received a call from TMC officials, and our team rushed to the spot and evacuated the residents safely from the building. A total of 120 people, including children, have been evacuated. They shifted to their relatives’ homes.”

Balu Pichad, assistant municipal commissioner, TMC, said that he, along with an engineer, Sachin Kadam, also rushed to the spot at 11 am. “We found one crack in one of the pillars,” he said. “We called in a structural auditor for an inspection of the building, and found that the pillar was faulty. We told the residents to conduct a structural audit soon and submit a report to TMC. Meanwhile, as a precaution, we asked the residents to evacuate the building. The structural audit report will be submitted by the residents in two and three days.”

TMC officials said there were no injuries to anyone due to the timely evacuation.