A 33-year-old man, identified as Suresh Valmiki, was injured when a balcony collapsed at a chawl in Thane's Samta Nagar area around 3 pm on Tuesday, according to Yasin Tadvi, chief of the regional disaster management cell (RDMC).
Valmiki was standing on the balcony located on the top floor of the ground-plus-one-storey structure when it unexpectedly gave way, causing him to sustain back injuries. He received medical treatment at a Thane Civic hospital.
Tadvi stated, "The unstable portion of the balcony was subsequently demolished. The civic officials, local firemen, and the disaster management team were immediately deployed to the scene."
Following the incident, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has made the decision to evacuate 42 families residing in the 25-year-old structure. The affected residents will be relocated to nearby schools and community halls, as announced by Tadvi.
Sanjay Herwade, additional municipal commissioner of the TMC, expressed concern over the substandard construction quality of the chawl and stated that there is no other option but to demolish it. In addition, civic officials will conduct inspections on neighboring buildings to assess their quality, as the municipality is determined not to take any chances with safety.
