Mumbai (Maharashtra)
Rescue teams recovered a total of eight bodies after a landslide struck a row of shanties in Ashok Nagar, Sakinaka, in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, officials said on Thursday. The search-and-rescue operation was subsequently called off, while civic agencies continued clearing debris and providing temporary shelter to those displaced.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when soil and boulders from an adjoining hillock fell on informal dwellings following heavy rain, officials said. During the search on Thursday a 28‑year‑old man, identified as Saddam Wazir Ali Khan, was pulled from the rubble and taken to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Seven other people injured in the incident were being treated at civic-run hospitals, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and fire brigade sources. With Khan’s death, the toll in the disaster rose to eight, they said.
“The site posed serious challenges as narrow access prevented the use of heavy machinery; teams had to rely on manual clearing and careful excavation,” officials said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fire brigade and the BMC were deployed for search and rescue at the site, the sources added. The operation was complicated by the constrained approach to the shanty cluster and the unstable slope above the row of houses.
Following the conclusion of active rescue efforts, civic authorities shifted focus to debris removal, structural assessment of nearby dwellings and relocation of affected residents. Evacuation of adjoining shanties had been carried out earlier, and temporary accommodation arrangements were being provided by the civic administration, officials said.
- Location: Ashok Nagar, Sakinaka, eastern suburbs, Mumbai
- Fatalities: 8
- Injured: 7 (under treatment at civic hospitals)
- Agencies involved: NDRF, Mumbai fire brigade, BMC
- Current status: Search operation called off; debris clearance and rehabilitation ongoing
| Item | Number/Detail |
|---|---|
| Bodies recovered | 8 |
| Injured under treatment | 7 |
| Hospitals involved | Rajawadi Hospital (brought dead declared) |
| Key responders | NDRF, fire brigade, BMC |
The landslide has again highlighted the vulnerability of low-income, informal settlements that adjoin hillocks and cuttings in Mumbai — a city that routinely faces slope instability and waterlogging during the monsoon season. Narrow lanes and makeshift access frequently limit the timely arrival of heavy rescue equipment, officials noted.
Residents of the affected cluster were evacuated to temporary relief centres set up by the civic body. Officials said assessments would be made on whether those structures could be re‑occupied after clearance and stabilisation of the slope, and that permanent relocation options would be considered where necessary.
Local citizen groups and residents called for expedited slope protection and better early‑warning measures. They also urged improved mapping of hazard-prone hillocks and more proactive demolition or reinforcement of unsafe constructions above vulnerable habitations.
The civic administration and disaster-response agencies said they would continue clearing debris and conducting structural checks in surrounding areas. No further casualties were reported after the rescue operation was wound down, officials added.
Further details on the identities of other victims, the exact causes of the slope failure, and any potential legal or enforcement action by the BMC were not immediately available. The municipal agency and the NDRF are expected to file official incident and technical reports following site stabilisation.
Authorities have urged residents living below hillocks across Mumbai to report signs of soil movement, cracks or seepage to local ward offices and the BMC helpline as the monsoon continues.
Reporting from Mumbai.
