Mahak building crash: From ‘villain’ to hero in less than 24 hours

ULHASNAGAR: In the Mahak building crash incident that occurred in Ulhasnagar on Tuesday, it was a 50-year-old resident’s alertness and prompt action that saved the lives of the 117 people residing in the building.
Talking to TOI, Jagdish Bhojwani, said, “Around 7.45am on Monday, I noticed that the doors of many flats were jammed, and the building had cracks. I immediately informed the fire brigade and civic officials.They broke down the doors and rescued all the residents.” As civic officials declared the building dangerous, it was sealed. This caused the residents to hurl abuses at him and curse him for making them leave their homes. Some even manhandled him.
However, after the building collapsed on Tuesday, the residents’ gratitude knew no bounds. “We were worried about losing our homes, and thought itcould be repaired. We were wrong and it was a mistake to target Bhojwani, as he saved our lives,” said R G Bhatia, one of the residents.