Vikhroli landslide: Civic authorities did not give prior evacuation notice, claims eyewitness

Mumbai: A resident of Vikhroli Parksite, where a landslide claimed two lives on Saturday, alleged that the civic authorities had not sent any prior notice this year to evacuate the area, which is prone to such accidents during monsoons.

Two members of a family were killed and two others sustained injuries when soil and stones from a hillock collapsed on their hut at Varsha Nagar in Vikhroli Parksite amid heavy rains in the wee hours of the day.

"We did not receive any notice from the authorities this time. We are sleeping in our home, when suddenly around 2.30 am debris collapsed on one of the houses and a family was trapped," said Chaya Vasant Makwana, who has been residing in the locality for 25 years.

Everyone started running, but local authorities reached the site immediately and extricated the family trapped in the debris, she said.

Suresh Mishra (50) and his daughter Shalu (19) died on the spot, while his wife Aarti (45) and son Ruturaj (20) were injured and rushed to a hospital, Makwana said.

Sunkum Patil, who has lived in the locality for 40 years, said she had known the victims.

"This is the first time something like this has happened in the area. No one is responsible for this. It happened because of heavy rains," Patil said.

Another resident, Vaishali Jangam, said the families had turned in for the day, and some were watching TV when the landslide occurred.

"Our house is just below the affected hut, and some debris fell on our premises too. When my husband stepped out to see what was happening, he saw that Mishra's hut had been destroyed," she said.