DHAKA: The death toll in the collapse of a four-storey building in Mumbai yesterday has gone up to 25.

A disaster management official said the victims included nine women.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) commandant Alok Awasthi added that nearly 36 people were still trapped under the debris. "We have taken out more than 40 persons. We will not panic and work until the last person is taken out," he said.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has arrested one person in connection with the case. Ashok Mehta has been booked under-section 304(2) of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"He had rented place in that building, and as per allegations had made some illegal altercations in the building," police said. He will be produced before the court today.

Situated near the Dockyard Road, south Mumbai, the 33-year-old building was a civic employees` staff quarters, said an official of the chief minister`s office.

The building, which housed around 21 families, suddenly collapsed 5.45 am on Friday, catching the sleeping residents unawares, the official added.

The 28-flat building, of which seven were unoccupied, and a ground floor warehouse was declared "extremely dilapidated" a few years ago.

Last month, it was surveyed by a BMC team which recommended urgent repairs after shifting the families living there.

Mumbai Mayor Sunil Prabhu is supervising the relief operations with top BMC and fire brigade officials, and announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and free treatment of the injured in civic hospitals.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan who visited the crash site on Friday night announced an aid of Rs. 1 lakh to the families of the deceased.

Source: NDTV
BDST: 1148 HRS, SEP 28, 2013
RS/BSK