Mumbai rain: driveway caves in at Antop Hill high rise

The parking lot and driveway of a posh high-rise building at the Antop Hill-Wadala area caved in on Monday in Mumbai following overnight rain.

Around a dozen cars and SUVs were trapped in the debris after the parking lot of Lloyd's Estate caved in near the Vidyalankar College, forming a 20 to 30 feet deep crater.

Adjacent to the building, Dosti Realty, a major real estate company, is constructing a 40-storey building and the plinth work is on. There was a cement mixing plant and water was oozing regularly and the drain was also choked.

There are fears that some construction workers who had hutments there could be trapped.

"The police and fire brigade staff are on the job, we are not negating that possibility, " said local MP Rahul Shewale.

The C and D towers of the Lloyd's Estate (also known as Wadala Heights Cooperative Housing Society) has been affected. More than 270 people stay in the two buildings which have 32 floors.

Around 4 am, the residents heard a rattling sound and around daylight, they came to know what happened. "It was like an explosion, thunder," one of the residents said. The BMC and Mumbai Police personnel rushed to the spot.

Later, the Antop Hill police station registered a case against the builder and corporation officials.

As a precautionary measure, residents of the two wings have been asked to vacate their flats.

In a statement, the Wadala Heights said: "We have witnessed a significant sinking of stilt area since the last more than a year because of the piling work."

"It is because of a nexus between corporation officials, builders...The commissioner needs to be immediately removed," said Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam.