Thane building built in 1990s develops cracks, residents evacuated

Residents of more than 30 flats in a five-storey building at Mumbra in Maharashtras Thane city were evacuated soon after several cracks were spotted in it, officials said on Sunday.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Mumbra) of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Manish Joshi, said the building named Shree Sai Krupa, located in Sanjay Nagar area, has been sealed and the occupants shifted to a civic school in the locality after the residents observed cracks on Saturday evening. The building, which was constructed in the 1990s, is currently being examined by structural consultant and civic engineers, he said.

One of the residents of a ground floor observed cracks on the beams and alerted his family member, who also saw the plaster falling down and cracks on other parts. The other occupants of the building were immediately alerted and rushed out, Joshi said. The fire brigade was intimated. But before their arrival, the residents of all the flats were evacuated, he added. I appreciate the presence of mind of the local residents. We do not want the building to be razed and we will see if any corrective measures can be taken, he said. A civic official said the construction quality of the building is inferior. TMCs Regional Disaster Management Cell chief Santosh Kadam said the building figured in the civic body-prepared list of dangerous structures in the city.

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