Accident occurred during repair work; several people feared trapped
Mumbai: A four-storey building collapsed in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, around 11:30 PM on Thursday. Nine people have died in the incident, and 4 to 5 others are feared trapped under the debris. Relief and rescue operations are currently underway.
Municipal corporation officials stated that the building comprised 48 rooms, with 12 rooms on each floor. The building had previously been declared dangerous by the municipal authorities; repair work was in progress when the collapse occurred. Cracks had appeared in the structure earlier that night.
Citing residents, an official reported that loud cracking sounds were heard coming from the building around 9 PM on Thursday, and some people had noticed cracks. Local residents began shifting families to other locations when a section of the building collapsed.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), and the fire brigade carried out rescue operations at the site.
Dr. Akash Shukla, Casualty Officer at Bhiwandi’s Indira Gandhi Hospital, stated that two men and a woman were brought to the hospital during the night; all three sustained minor injuries.
Collector Shrikrishna Panchal stated that repair work had been initiated on the building, but no permission had been obtained from the municipal corporation for it.