Crane Topples During Kurla Building Demolition, 10 Injured and FIR Filed
A 250-tonne crane deployed for the demolition of a ground-plus-16-storey dilapidated building in Kurla’s Qureshi Nagar toppled early Friday, injuring 10 people, including two young boys, and damaging nearby huts, vehicles, an Mhada compound wall, and railway overhead equipment.
The Chunabhatti police have registered an FIR against Delhi-based Total Construction Pvt Ltd, which was awarded the demolition contract by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), for alleged negligence and other offences. MMRDA imposed a Rs 25 lakh penalty on the firm and directed it to bear medical expenses and compensation for the injured, as well as repair or compensate for damaged hutments and vehicles. MMRDA officials stated that the crane had been brought in despite stipulations that the demolition be conducted manually.
The collapse occurred around 2.40am near Building No. 1 of Bhandari Metallurgy in Qureshi Nagar before demolition had started. MMRDA stated that soft ground may have compromised the machine's stability, whereas the BMC reported that the accident happened while the crane was being mounted using a Poclain machine.
Eight of the injured—Jagrulla Nabi Mohammed Khan, 63; Ahmed Niyaz Ahmed, 11; Atikur Reman, 60; Hakum Sheikh, 36; Numan Khan, 21; Rehman Khan, 19; Suraj Gaud, 10; and Akbar, 40—were taken to Sion Hospital. Raja Gaud, 35, and his wife Aarti, 30, were taken to Kurla Bhabha Hospital. Nine people received outpatient treatment and were discharged, while Jagrulla was admitted to Sion Hospital with stable head and leg injuries.
Central Railway confirmed that the crane damaged overhead equipment on the single-line Kurla-Trombay section. Passenger services remained unaffected because the route is primarily dedicated to goods traffic. Railway sources noted that the crane's roughly 100-foot boom struck the overhead cable first, which slowed its descent and prevented it from crashing directly into adjacent structures.
The building was constructed by HDIL in 2005 under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme with six wings and approximately 500 tenements. It was never occupied due to project delays and HDIL's bankruptcy, leading the SRA to transfer the structure to MMRDA. A 2021 structural audit declared the building unfit for habitation, leading to the demolition order.
