A building collapse in Bhiwandi has killed at least ten people, with several others feared trapped.

What happened

A part of a four storey building in Balaji Nagar, Gangaram Wada, Bhiwandi, in Maharashtra’s Thane district, collapsed late on Thursday night. Around 11 people were trapped under the debris.

By 4 pm on Friday, rescue teams had recovered at least ten bodies, and more people are feared to be trapped in the rubble.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade are carrying out the rescue operations.

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Fire officer’s account

Nitin Chavan, fire officer at the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, told Hindustan Times that according to local residents, six occupants of the building and five workers doing repair work were reported missing.

He said, “So far, we have recovered eight bodies from the debris, and there is a possibility that more bodies may still be trapped underneath.” He added that operations were still going on and that the bodies had been sent to IGM hospital, but the workers had not yet been identified.

Building was already declared unsafe

The building, called Kohinoor Building, had earlier been declared dangerous by the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC). Even so, repair work was being carried out there when it collapsed.

Among those initially reported missing were Shamji Pal (46), Santosh Pandey, also known as Munna (42), and Miraj Sheikh (35), along with several workers who have not yet been identified.

Rescue efforts underway

Teams from the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, the NDRF, and the Bhoiwada police station reached the spot soon after the collapse.

The Thane Collectorate said search and rescue work is being done with the help of trained sniffer dogs, and that two ambulances and a JCB excavator have been sent to the site to help find and rescue those still trapped.

Officials say rescue work and other administrative steps are continuing, and the exact cause of the collapse is still not known.

CM Fadnavis calls it unfortunate

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident unfortunate and said action would be taken against the contractor.

According to PTI, he said, “The incident that occurred in Bhiwandi is unfortunate. This building had already been declared dilapidated. Around 25 people had been evacuated from it. Despite that, the contractor continued the repair work, and some people remained inside, which led to this accident. We express our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.”

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He added, “The government will provide assistance to them. Those who were injured have also been admitted to hospital for treatment. Despite the municipal corporation’s notice, the contractor continued with the repair work. Appropriate action will also be taken against the contractor.”

FAQs

Where did the building collapse happen?

In Balaji Nagar, Gangaram Wada, Bhiwandi, in Maharashtra’s Thane district.

How many people were trapped?

Around 11 people, including six occupants and five repair workers.

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