Daijiworld Media Network - Thane
Thane, Aug 2: Twenty-two families living in a Mumbra building have been asked to vacate the premises within 24 hours after a portion of the slab collapsed, exposing serious structural concerns, civic officials said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening inside a room of the ground-plus-five-storey Dhoom Apartment near Sania Hall in Chand Nagar, Kausa, Mumbra. No injuries were reported.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Zone 1, Deepak Zinjad said the nearly two-decade-old building has been classified as a Category C-1 structure, which denotes an extremely dangerous condition.
"Following the slab collapse, cracks were also found in the building's columns, raising concerns about its structural stability," Zinjad said.
The building has 42 occupied flats and houses around 170 residents. Authorities have issued notices directing occupants to evacuate within 24 hours.
The incident, coming shortly after the Bhiwandi building collapse, has raised fresh concerns over unsafe structures within the Thane Municipal Corporation limits. Officials said 43 out of 93 buildings classified as dangerous in the city are still occupied despite repeated notices and appeals to residents.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao said civic teams would carry out fresh inspections of old and dilapidated buildings, increase monitoring and conduct awareness campaigns to help residents identify structural warning signs and report them to authorities.
"Residents of unsafe buildings will be informed about the risks, and such structures will be vacated and demolished on priority," Rao said.
Officials said evacuation notices are being issued under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, in accordance with state guidelines for dangerous buildings. Authorities are also documenting the carpet area occupied by tenants and flat owners before issuing certificates to protect their rehabilitation claims.
Temporary accommodation is being arranged at municipal shelters for affected residents. However, officials warned that essential services such as water and electricity could be disconnected if occupants refuse to vacate unsafe buildings despite repeated notices.