Amid an overnight rescue operation marked by grief and frantic searches, rescuers on Friday recovered bodies of nine people from the debris of a collapsed four-storey building in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi.
Four people were injured, while two to three others are still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, Bhiwandi Sub-Divisional Officer Amit Sanap said.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Thursday when a portion of the Kohinoor Building in Thane district, collapsed. Officials said the structure had already been declared "dangerous" by civic authorities, and repair work was underway at the time of the incident.
“Nine persons have been killed in the building collapse in Bhiwandi. A search and rescue operation is underway at the site,” Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force, the fire brigade and other agencies continued rescue efforts through the morning, using heavy machinery, sniffer dogs and specialised equipment to search for survivors trapped under the concrete.
At the site, survivors recounted the terrifying moments before and after the collapse. A survivor recalled being trapped under mud and slush while hearing her parents desperately calling out her name.
“I too was screaming at the top of my voice, but the debris swallowed my cries. My voice couldn’t reach them. I remained buried in that cold marsh for agonising hours before the rescue team pulled me out alive,” she told PTI.
The woman alleged that residents had repeatedly raised concerns about the manner in which repair work was being carried out.
“We warned them not to do the repairs in that manner, but they continued, leading to this disaster,” she said.
Officials identified five of the nine deceased as Shamim Shaikh (32), Ranjeet Singh (45), Miraj Rasul Shaikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42) and Shamim Ansari (30).
According to officials, residents heard loud cracking sounds from the building around 9 pm on Thursday.
Alarmed by the noise, locals began evacuating families. However, while some residents were still leaving, the building's 'B' wing collapsed.
Authorities said the rescue operation involves NDRF personnel, the Thane Disaster Response Force, local firefighters, four fire engines, two ambulances, a dog squad and heavy earth-moving equipment.
Bhiwandi Mayor Narayan Chowdhari urged residents living in unsafe structures to vacate immediately.
“There are at least 130 to 140 ‘most dangerous’ buildings in Bhiwandi right now that need to be evacuated at once. I urge residents to please come out to save their lives,” he said, adding that schools and community halls had been opened as temporary shelters for affected families.
He also claimed that civic authorities managed to evacuate nearly 150 residents after cracks appeared in the building on Thursday night, though 10 to 12 people remained inside when the structure collapsed.
(With inputs from PTI)
