8-month-old baby survives building collapse as kin die

An eight-month-old baby survived miraculously when a building collapsed in Bhiwandi on Sunday, killing five members of his family. The infant has been identified as Abdul Rehman Ansari, whose family was one of seven-odd families that lived in the ill-fated building at Gaibi Nagar, Bhiwandi.

A total of eight people, including two men and three women from Abdul’s family, died in the collapse.

The boy’s grandfather, Barkat Ali Ansari, said: “It’s shocking news for me. The whole family has been wiped out, except for my grandson. I don’t know how I am going to look after him.”

At present, the baby is being treated at Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital, while the other injured people have been admitted in the Thane civil hospital.

“After we received a call about the building collapse, our medical team rushed to the spot. A few people who had sustained minor injuries were given treatment, while those with major injuries were shifted to hospitals. Right now, 22 people are being treated while eight people were declared as brought dead,” said Dr A. Sherry, the medical officer at IGM Hospital.

A Bhiwandi Nizampura Municipal Corporation official said, “The building was on the ‘dangerous’ list and a notice had also been issued to the landlord, while the Shantinagar police station had also issued warnings to the residents and tenants.”