Lift crash in Thane skyscraper: Toll rises to 7 as 1 more worker dies

The death toll in the lift crash at an under-construction 40-storey building in Maharashtra's Thane city went up to seven, as one more labourer who was pulled out alive from the basement succumbed to his injuries.

A civic official said on Monday (September 11) that the labourer Sunil Kumar (21) was pulled out alive from the basement parking of the building after the incident on Sunday evening. He was rushed to a hospital where he died of his injuries late Sunday night, said Thane municipal corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi.

A case has been registered against the contractor under Indian Penal Code sections 304(2) (rash and negligent act), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), senior police inspector Uttam Sonawane from Kapurbawdi police station told PTI.

The construction lift in the 40-storey building located in Balkum area off the Ghodbunder Road in Thane collapsed on Sunday evening.

It was a construction lift and not the regular elevator, Tadvi said on Sunday. "The workers had finished water-proofing work and entered the lift at the 40th floor when the lift came crashing down at around 7.30 pm and landed in P3 (three levels underground in the parking area)," he said.

Prima facie, one of the supporting cables of the construction lift snapped, leading to the incident, the official said.

A team of the regional disaster management cell and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out the workers from the basement parking. It was not yet clear how the lift cable malfunctioned, Tadvi said.