Thane: The sudden closure of the North-end foot over bridge outside Thane railway station after it was found structurally unstable has left citizens and commuters inconvenienced as they have to now take a longer detour or risk lives crossing the tracks.It may be recalled that the FoB connecting the east and west sides of the city was shut recently after an IIT Bombay report declared it unfit for use.Resultantly, thousands of commuters left with no alternative are facing inconvenience and are forced to either cross the busy tracks or take a detour.It is learnt that the bridge was constructed as a cross over means for villagers of Chendani Koliwada that was bifurcated after the expansion of the railways beyond Thane cut through the village at the fringes of the Thane creek. A bridge was constructed in the early 1930s but was pulled down after the trans-harbour line was operational and later a new structure was erected which is also being demolished now.The issue of inadequate crossing over bridges for city residents was raised by Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare who met the divisional railway manager of the Central Railway demanding prompt completion of an alternative access for citizens.Many local residents who cross over daily from one part of the city to another are facing immense inconvenience due to this closure. The authorities havent given a deadline for the completion or opening up of the new structure leaving the users harried, said Vichare.Railway officials requesting anonymity blamed the Thane corporation for holding back funds for construction of the new bridges. The Thane corporation had okayed a budget of Rs 24 crore for constructing the two FoBs at Thane station and one at Mumbra Koliwada in 2019. While the corporation has released a major chunk of funds, a notable volume is still awaited, lamented officials.A senior railway official said they are looking into the issue and coordinating with the Thane corporation for faster disbursal of funds for completion of the project.We also published the following articles recentlySenior citizen, wife suffocate to death in Thane house blazeA senior citizen and his wife died due to suffocation in a fire that broke out in their residence. Abhimanyu Madhvi (60) and his wife Ramabai (55) lived on the top floor of Madhvi Niwas. The fire started in the prayer room on the first floor and quickly spread. The couple was unable to escape due to dense smoke. The fire brigade will investigate the cause of the incident.Thane: Mentally challenged girl raped, senior citizen heldA 68-year-old man was arrested in Thane for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old mentally challenged girl. The accused and the victim reside in the same locality. The girls mother works as a cook nearby. The victim, who has medical issues, visited her mother and was taken inside the accuseds house where she was assaulted. The accused claimed that the girl entered on her own. The case was registered and the accused was arrested. The victims identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy.Thane: Two people die of suffocation after bungalow catches fireTwo people died due to suffocation after they got trapped on the second floor of their bungalow in Thane which caught fire in Waghbil area. The fire broke out on the first floor of the ground-plus-two-storey Madhvi Niwas bungalow. Three members of the family were safely evacuated while two members, including a 60-year-old man and his 55-year-old relative, got trapped upstairs. The rescue teams spotted the duo in an unconscious state and rushed them to the hospital where they were declared brought dead.

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