10,068 disaster calls reported in 2018

Mumbai: A RTI response by the Disaster Management Unit of the BMC has revealed that in 2018, a total of 10,068 disaster calls were reported in which 153 people died and 599 were left injured. The disasters included fires, flooding, tree falls, wall/building collapses and drowning among others. Activist Shakeel Ahmed had filed the RTI.

In its reply, the civic body specified that out of the 10,068 total disasters recorded in the city, a majority were tree falls (3,169); followed by short circuits/electrocution (2,146); fires (1,784); water logging (1,104); building/wall collapses (619); and drowning (135) among others.

The data stated that out of the total 153 deaths recorded due to various disasters 116 were male and 37 were female. While, of the total 599 injured, 383 were male and 216 were female.

The data also said that the maximum deaths were due to drowning in septic tanks/nullahs/ sea (70) followed by fires (34), building/wall collapses (15), electrocution (12), tree falls (6) and falling in gutters (6) among others.

Out of the total injuries, the maximum people were injured in fires (297), followed by short circuits (91), building/wall collapses (79), and tree falls (30).

Activist Anil Galgali said, “Considering the high number of disaster calls and number of people injured or killed, it can be said that the disaster management unit of Mumbai is very prompt and has saved many lives and prevented an incident from becoming a major one which could have ended many more lives. The teams are so skilled that last monsoon in Nalasopara when rail services were hampered, the Mumbai team was sent to bring back the system to normal”.