Navi Mumbai: Cave-In at Mangal Tower in CBD-Belapur Triggers Evacuation After Excavation Work

Navi Mumbai, 21st December 2024: Excavation work for a commercial building in Sector 15, CBD-Belapur, led to a cave-in of the drive-in area of the nearby Mangal Tower on Tuesday. Residents of the tower were alarmed by the incident and quickly evacuated to safety. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) town planning department called in a team from VJTI on Wednesday to inspect the site and provide a technical report regarding the collapse.

Ranesh Kokate, Fire Officer at CBD-Belapur, stated, “When we were notified of the cave-in at Mangal Tower on Tuesday night, our rescue team immediately responded. The drive-in area of the building developed large cracks due to excavation work by a developer constructing an adjacent commercial building. As a precaution, all residents were evacuated. Fortunately, the excavation did not affect the nearby residential buildings. NMMC’s engineering team inspected Mangal Tower and confirmed that the building’s structure remained intact, though some residents chose to stay with relatives as a safety measure.”

Somnath Kekan, NMMC’s additional town planning officer, explained, “We requested a technical report from the VJTI engineering team to determine the exact cause of the cave-in. Once the report is received, the developer responsible for the excavation will be issued a notice and appropriate legal action will follow.”