THANE: At least seven workers were killed and another injured when the construction lift in a 40-storey building, which is under construction, collapsed on Sunday evening in Balkum area in Thane city of Maharashtra, officials said.
The deceased labourers have been identified as Mahendra Choupal (32), Rupesh Kumar Das (21), Harun Sheikh (47), Mithlesh Vishwakarma (35), Kari Das (38), Navin Vishwakarma and Sunil Kumar (21).
A case has been registered against the contractor under Indian Penal Code sections 304(2) (rash and negligent act), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), senior police inspector Uttam Sonawane from Kapurbawdi police station told PTI.
The construction lift in the 40-storey building located in the Balkum area off the Ghodbunder Road here collapsed on Sunday evening.
It was a construction lift and not the regular elevator, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.
"The workers had finished water-proofing work and entered the lift at the 40th floor when the lift came crashing down at around 7. 30 p.m. and landed in P3 (three levels underground in the parking area)," he said.
Prima facie, one of the supporting cables of the construction lift snapped, leading to the incident, the official said. A team of the regional disaster management cell and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out the workers from the basement parking.
It was not yet clear how the lift cable malfunctioned, Tadvi said.