Six killed as unsafe building collapses just before family was to move out
Babushahi Bureau
Mumbai (Maharashtra), July 7, 2026: What was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter for a labourer’s family ended in an unimaginable tragedy after a four-storey illegal building collapsed in Mumbai’s Mankhurd area late Sunday night, killing six people, including a mother, her four children, and a seven-year-old neighbour.
The horrific incident took place in Janata Nagar, where the family had lived for several years in a modest tin-sheet house before moving into the building. The victims have been identified as 38-year-old Akhtar Jahan, her four minor children, and seven-year-old Alia, the only daughter of a neighbouring family.
According to local residents, the building had shown visible signs of structural weakness in recent days. Cracks had appeared on the walls, tiles had started falling off, and the structure had begun leaning to one side. Alarmed by the condition of the building, Akhtar Jahan had decided to vacate the premises on Sunday morning.
The family had packed all their belongings and was scheduled to shift to a new house on Monday morning. However, fate intervened just hours before they could leave.
Akhtar Jahan’s husband, Moinuddin Wajid Ali Shah, had stepped out to purchase groceries shortly before the collapse. When he returned, he found the building reduced to rubble.
Overcome with grief, Moinuddin said he had urged his family to leave the building earlier that day and that they had only one more night to spend there. “It was just a matter of one day, but my entire world has been buried under the debris,” he said while mourning the loss of his wife and children.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos immediately after the collapse. Wasim Khan, who was at a nearby shop, said a loud crashing sound was followed by a massive cloud of dust, with concrete slabs, twisted iron rods and household belongings scattered across the area.
Local residents, firefighters and rescue teams worked through the night to search for survivors trapped beneath the debris. The final body was recovered around 11 p.m. All the victims were rushed to Shatabdi Hospital and Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.
Following the tragedy, Mankhurd police arrested the building owners, Abdul Wahid and Ghulam Raza Sayeed, on Monday. A case has been registered against them under charges including culpable homicide and criminal negligence.
Preliminary investigations indicate that substandard construction material was allegedly used in the building and that the owners ignored warning signs despite being aware of the danger posed by the weakened structure.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased victim. He also assured that the government would bear the cost of treatment for those injured in the collapse.
Meanwhile, local MLA Abu Asim Azmi strongly criticised the civic administration, alleging that illegal multi-storey buildings continue to mushroom in slum areas due to the alleged connivance of officials. He said the tragedy exposed the failure of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to curb unauthorised constructions despite repeated warnings.