Thane: A 13-year-old girl was killed when a portion of the second-floor common balcony of a residential building collapsed in Mumbra on Monday night.Six residents trapped inside the structure were rescued by the fire brigade and disaster response personnel after a two-hour operation, said Ganesh Khetar of the Mumbra fire station.The incident occurred around 8 pm at the four-storey Faiyyaz Apartments in Amrut Nagar. The deceased, Aasma Shaikh, had been playing with friends in the common balcony when a loud creaking sound was heard by residents. The residents said the slab gave way and Shaikh was buried under the debris. Her friends escaped unhurt.NCP (SP) corporator and Thane Municipal Corporation opposition leader Ashraf Pathan along with civic rescue teams reached the spot within minutes and rushed the injured girl to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead.The building, classified as C2B—requiring structural repairs—houses about 70 residents in 15 flats. As a precaution, all occupants were shifted to nearby municipal schools pending a fresh structural stability assessment, said Hemant Divate, station in-charge, Mumbra fire brigade.Authorities said the exact cause of the collapse will be determined after an inspection, which will also decide if the building can be repaired or needs to be demolished.Shaikh’s death is the fifth monsoon-related fatality reported in Thane district in the past month, despite deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde directing authorities to ensure zero deaths from rain-related incidents. Activists said residents continued to live in dilapidated buildings.
