Narrow escape for 25 BEST staffers as slab collapses at Shivajinagar bus depot

Mumbai: A major tragedy was averted at the Shivajinagar BEST depot in Govandi on Tuesday when, moments before a slab crashed inside one of the buildings there, 25 drivers and conductors rushed out sensing danger and escaped without getting hurt. Staffers said they were having lunch when they heard a creaking sound from the ceiling. The warning lasted only seconds, they said, but it was enough to send them rushing out of the room.The slab came down almost immediately after the staffers stepped outside, leaving debris scattered across the space they had just occupied. Though no injuries were reported, the incident has heightened anxiety among employees about the safety of ageing structures within the depot.BEST committee member Faisal Khan termed the collapse as “totally unwarranted” and alleged that the depot’s infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate. “It is like playing with the lives of our BEST workers,” Khan said, adding that the incident should be treated as a warning. He claimed the main building at the depot remains in poor condition and pointed to visible corrosion. “The steel is visible. Another slab collapse can happen anytime,” he said, calling for immediate inspection and repairs across the premises.Officials said the structure where the slab fell was a smaller building used for issuing tickets and passes, and it also housed rest rooms for staff.Khan said he had raised the issue of depot buildings earlier, claiming he wrote on April 21 to BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao seeking inspection of the buildings and initiation of repair work. “My pleas were ignored and this mishap occurred subsequently,” he alleged.Senior BEST committee member (BJP) Sunil Ganacharya has slammed the “poor maintenance” of BEST properties, many of them 60-80 years old. He said repairs are done once in 10-12 years, while some depots have seen no major expenditure for nearly 15 years, leaving buildings, rest rooms, canteens and receiving stations in a dangerous state. Ganacharya warned that slabs at Pratiksha Nagar depot could collapse. He said staff are working in miserable conditions, with no proper rest rooms, lighting or ventilation, and toilets are in a horrible state. Vikhroli depot had faced persistent water issues and the problem was resolved after continuous follow-ups with management, he said, adding, “our own employees, who give public service, should be given proper facilities and amenities.”Workers who witnessed the collapse described it as a close shave and said the incident could easily have turned fatal. Several said the episode underlined the need for urgent structural checks, particularly for buildings used daily by a large number of staffers.A BEST official said the undertaking has taken the matter seriously and will carry out repairs. “We will be repairing the defects in the buildings inside the depot. We want to ensure such incidents don’t recur,” the official said.Ends