4-storey building collapses in Navi Mumbai; 2 rescued, 3 feared trapped
Mumbai (PTI): A four-storey residential building collapsed in Navi Mumbai's CBD Belapur area early on Saturday and two persons were rescued, while a search operation is underway to find three others who are feared trapped under the rubble, officials said.
The incident occurred at 4.10 am in Shahbaz village, they said.
"The four-storey building with several residential units and three shops collapsed early this morning. Fifty-two residents, including 13 children, were evacuated. A man and a woman who were trapped under the rubble were rescued and admitted to a hospital, while search efforts continue for the remaining individuals," Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Commissioner Kailas Shinde said.
The collapsed building was just 10 years old, he said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and personnel of the civic body's fire brigade rescued the two persons and carrying out the extricate the others.
The rescued persons were identified as Lal Mohammad (22) and Rukhsana (21), while a search operation was underway for others, an NDRF official said.
NMMC's divisional fire officer Purushottam Jadhav told PTI that initially, it was learnt that apart from the two individuals who were rescued around 6 am, one person was feared trapped under the debris and the rescue teams tried to call him on his mobile, but in vain.
"Later on, the teams came to know that at the time of the building collapse, two of his friends were also with him. Therefore, the search is now on to find the three persons who are feared trapped," he said.
A dog squad has been roped in to assist in the rescue operation, the NDRF official said.
Civic chief Shinde said the cause of the incident will be investigated by the NMMC.
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Centre must roll back LPG price hike, says Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded that the Centre immediately roll back the recent steep hike in LPG prices, alleging that it has severely impacted common people and small businesses.
In a statement, Vijayan described the increase as "one of the most cruel" in the history of cooking gas price revisions, saying it has pushed ordinary households and entrepreneurs into distress.
He said the price of commercial LPG cylinders had been raised by Rs 993 in one go, crossing Rs 3,000, which would adversely affect the hotel and restaurant sector.
The hike in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders by Rs 251.50 would hit migrant workers and small families who depend on them, he added.
The chief minister alleged that the hike came immediately after the conclusion of Assembly elections in states, placing an additional burden on common people, small-scale entrepreneurs and migrant labourers.
Pointing to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Vijayan said the hospitality sector has already been facing a shortage of cooking gas for months and the latest price increase would be difficult to absorb.
The burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers, he said, warning that several small establishments, including those in Kerala, could be forced to shut down.
Accusing oil companies of prioritising profits over public welfare, he said such a trend of imposing additional financial burden on people cannot be accepted.
Vijayan also alleged that the Centre's policies favour corporate interests and called for a correction in approach.
He urged the Union government to withdraw the excessive hike without delay.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
