
Hussaini building collapse: cops probe non-evacuation
- Select a language for the TTS:
- UK English Female
- UK English Male
- US English Female
- US English Male
- Australian Female
- Australian Male
- Language selected: (auto detect) - EN
Play all audios:

Two days after the Hussaini building collapse in Bhindi Bazar that claimed 33 lives and injured 17 others, JJ Marg police has begun its inquiry and recorded statements of all the injured,
relatives of deceased, and some residents who escaped unscathed. Police are now probing into how so many people were found living in the building, despite Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust
(SBUT) stating it had shifted seven families out of the building some years ago. Two days after the Hussaini building collapse in Bhindi Bazar that claimed 33 lives and injured 17 others, JJ
Marg police has begun its inquiry and recorded statements of all the injured, relatives of deceased, and some residents who escaped unscathed. Police are now probing into how so many people
were found living in the building, despite Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) stating it had shifted seven families out of the building some years ago. Police have also written a letter
to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), and SBUT, which is undertaking the Bhendi Bazaar cluster development project, and the
Mumbai Fire Brigade, requesting their stand on the reasons for the building collapse and details of any communication between the agencies regarding the building, or with the tenants, such
as notices for repairs or eviction issued to the tenants. According to police, they have asked BMC and MHADA to give them details about the building's condition, and details of when and
how many notices were sent to residents to vacate the building. Police may register a case of negligence if they find any irregularity or lapses. "We have recorded statements of all
the injured and relatives of the deceased to ascertain if there was any foul play. So far, only an Accidental Death Report has been registered and we are waiting for a reply from BMC and
MHADA in order to ascertain whether SBUT, BMC, MHADA or residents themselves are liable for criminal negligence. We will take a decision regarding registering a case after receiving a reply
from them and conducting a thorough inquiry into the matter," said a police officer requesting anonymity. MHADA had served a notice to tenants of Hussaini building in March 2011, and
again in May that year, to vacate, repair or demolish the building. In August 2011, 256 buildings in the area, including Hussaini building, came under the Bhendi Bazaar cluster development
project undertaken by SBUT. The trust has said that of a total of 13 tenants, which included 12 residential and one commercial, it had shifted 7 families in 2013-14. On Thursday, the
ground-plus-six story structure came crashing down, flattening a godown and some shops, and also causing damage to the four-storey Jumani building adjacent to it. The rest of this adjacent
building is now being demolished by MHADA. Another senior police officer said, "The Jumani building was also occupied by some SBUT workers and others. We have found that most of the
people who were killed or injured, apart from four families staying on the ground floor, were staying in Hussaini building illegally. We are yet to ascertain how these people were staying
there, and how and who had allowed a play school to operate on the first floor of the building. But it is clear that some of the original tenants had allowed others to stay there on rent
illegally." Residents of the building who vacated their flats want authorities to probe into how, after they were shifted out of Hussaini and Jumani buildings, so many people were found
staying in the two buildings. "When they(SBUT) told us to vacate the houses stating that the building is dilapidated, how did they allow others to stay at the building and run a play
school on the first floor. There were also SBUT workers residing in the building adjacent to Hussaini, and few others were allowed to stay at the godown," claimed former resident of
Hussaini building, now living in a transit camp