Mumbai building collapse: Death toll climbs up to 14
Mumbai, Jul 17: The death toll in the building collapse incident in south Mumbai's congested Dongri area has gone up to 14, the NDRF said on Wednesday, even as the rescue-and-search operations were underway for those trapped under the debris.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a compensation of Rs five lakh for the kin of those killed in the incident and Rs 50,000 for the injured persons.
"All the medical expenses of the injured will be borne by the Government of Maharashtra," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
"So far, 14 people seven men, four women and three children have lost their lives. Nine others were injured, they are being provided medical treatment," National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) spokesperson Sachidanand Gawde said.
He said the search-and-rescue operations continued throughout the night and were still on.
"It (search-and-rescue operations) will go on till the last piece of rubble is removed from the spot," Gawde said.
The official said his team members were told about the presence of a few customers at an eatery on the ground floor of the building when the incident happened but no one was sure of the exact number.
"So, our job is still left to rescue those men," he said.
Notably, the structure that collapsed was an illegal extension of the Kesarbai building, located on Tandel Street in Dongri, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earlier claimed that the building was owned by MHADA.
However, MHADA, in a statement on Tuesday evening, said the structure was illegally constructed behind the Kesarbai building.
State Housing Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil visited the site on Tuesday and said the building was owned by a private body and that it was illegal.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
