Mumbai: Repair Work Underway In Declared-Dangerous Building When It Collapsed, 6 Dead

Six people lost their lives after a portion of an old building collapsed. The tragic incident occurred late Thursday night in Bhiwandi, Thane district of Maharashtra, and has once again raised serious questions about the safety of dilapidated buildings.

According to the administration, the ‘B’ wing of the four-storey ‘Kohinoor’ residential building suddenly caved in between 11:00 pm and 11:30 pm. Six bodies have been recovered so far in the incident.

Information revealed during the investigation shows that the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation had earlier declared the building dangerous. Despite that, repair work was still going on in the building.

The four-storey building had a total of 48 rooms. A short while before the collapse, local residents heard cracking sounds coming from the building and managed to evacuate many families to safety. However, several people got trapped under the debris while trying to get out as a section of the building collapsed.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that rescue operations are still underway. The search is continuing amid fears that several more people may be trapped under the rubble.

NDRF, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, local police, district administration and trained dog squads are taking part in the rescue operation. Two ambulances and one JCB machine have also been deployed for the rescue work.

The administration stated that the search for people trapped under the debris is ongoing and an investigation has also been launched into the cause of the accident.