The deceased, Suresh Lokhande, and his daughter Vedika were sleeping in the bedroom of their flat in Sai Siddhi Society, Sector 10, when a large section of the reinforced concrete (RCC) slab suddenly gave way at around 6 a.m. The debris fell directly on the two, trapping them under the rubble.
Hearing the loud crash, family members and neighbours rushed to the spot and pulled the victims out before shifting them to hospital. Doctors declared Lokhande dead on arrival, while Vedika sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital in Kamothe.
The six-storey residential building, constructed in 2008, is not listed among dangerous structures. Civic authorities have launched an investigation and ordered a structural audit to determine the exact cause of the slab collapse, including whether poor construction quality, structural deterioration or maintenance issues were responsible.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of ageing residential buildings in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
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