Thane: A 12-year-old boy was crushed to death, while his mother and his nine-year-old brother sustained head injuries after a portion of their nearly 30-year-old one-storey tenement collapsed on them in a chawl in Thane’s Azad Nagar on Friday.The mother, Urmila Jaiswar (35), and her younger son, Vinit, were rushed to hospital and were reported to be stable.The boys—Jaykumar and Vinit—had returned home from school and were resting after lunch while Urmila was on her phone when they heard a creak. Within seconds, the ceiling collapsed, trapping the trio beneath the debris. Their father was away at work at a sweet shop.Local Shiv Sena corporator Meenakshi Shinde, who was among the first to reach the spot, said a section of the tenement’s extended cantilever balcony crashed onto the rented room occupied by the Jaiswar family. A few residents alleged that structural modifications had been carried out to the building a few years ago and some repairs were undertaken recently. The structure may not have been able to withstand the extensions and must have weakened during the rains, said residents. Civic officials said the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.Urmila and Vinit, recovering in hospital, remained unaware of Jaykumar’s death and repeatedly asked neighbours about his condition. “We haven’t told them yet,” a neighbour said.Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar, who visited the site and the family, directed civic officials to immediately evacuate adjoining structures as a precautionary measure and ensure that the medical expenses of the injured are borne by the civic body.The death came two days after deputy CM Eknath Shinde declared “zero tolerance” towards rain-related mishaps in Thane and directed civic authorities to take immediate corrective measures wherever required. With the Friday tragedy, the toll from rain-related incidents in Thane rose to three in the last 10 days. A teenage girl from Mumbra was electrocuted during heavy rain last week, while a 64-year-old plumber died on Thursday after a tree fell on him.
