Mumbai: Water Tank Collapse at BMC Construction Site in Nagpada Kills 9-Year-Old Girl

Mumbai, 26th December 2024: A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when a water tank collapsed at a BMC construction site in Siddharth Nagar, Nagpada, killing a nine-year-old girl and injuring three others. The families of the victims, who lived and worked at the site, were caught in the disaster. Despite the tragedy unfolding around 10:30 AM, the BMC only arrived for an inquiry by 6 PM, after being notified late, officials said.

Nine-year-old cousins Afrin (Khushi) Shah and Minaz Khatoon were playing near the six-foot-tall water tank when it suddenly burst. The girls’ mothers, who work as domestic helpers, were not at home, and the children were being watched by neighbours. As Nazrana Bibi was washing the children’s faces near the tank and Gulam Rasool was heading there with a bundle of clothes, the tank exploded. “It sounded like a balloon popping loudly,” Rasool recalled.

The force of the water from the tank swept them away, and the broken concrete slabs flew everywhere. “We were all trapped under the slabs, screaming for help. Those nearby rushed to assist and took us to the hospital. But Afrin had been struck directly by a slab and died,” said Nazrana, who was hospitalized at Fauzia Hospital nearby.

Afrin Shah, originally from Bihar, had returned to Mumbai with her mother and younger brother on December 5. She was declared dead on arrival at Fauzia Hospital and later taken to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem. She was buried at the Bada Kabrastan at Charni Road by nightfall.

Gulam Rasool suffered a broken leg and head injuries, while Minaz Khatoon and Nazrana Bibi sustained back injuries. All the survivors are in stable condition.

The concrete slabs from the tank were scattered around the site, damaging one of the huts. Among the debris were items belonging to the residents, including a broken bucket, a water tumbler, and some clothes.

Nazrana explained that the tank had been recently constructed about 20 days ago after the old plastic tank burst twice. Rasool mentioned that a tanker was filling the new tank when the explosion occurred, and the tank couldn’t handle the pressure of the water. This was confirmed by the BMC, which cited the tank’s inability to withstand the water pressure as the cause of the burst.

Tarannum Parveen, Afrin’s mother, was at work when she received the news and was rushed to the hospital. “Afrin took care of her brother while I was away. My husband had surgery for a kidney stone in Bihar, and I came back to Mumbai to support him while he recovered. We were living with Minaz’s family as her father works at the construction site,” she said, still in shock at the graveyard.

The issue of compensation has not yet been discussed.

The BMC’s disaster management department stated that the deceased and injured were part of the contractor’s staff, though the BMC had contracted the site for redevelopment under the Ashray Yojana scheme to build homes for the municipality’s SWM workers.

Nagpada police station’s senior inspector Ajay Kamble confirmed an accidental death report had been filed and said legal action would follow once responsibility for the incident was determined.