THANE: At least ten people died and three others were injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra’s Thane district late on Thursday night. The building had been declared “dangerous” by the civic body in September 2020.Five of the deceased were identified as Shamim Shaikh (32), Ranjeet Singh (45), Miraj Rasul Shaikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42) and Shamim Ansari (30). Rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate three people feared trapped under the debris.The incident occurred around 11.20 pm when a section of the Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar collapsed.The building, located about 50 km from Mumbai, was undergoing repair work that the civic body said had been carried out without permission.Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) and the municipal fire brigade launched a rescue operation. Heavy machinery and sniffer dogs were pressed into service to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.According to officials, the four-storey building had 48 rooms, with 12 on each floor. Residents had reportedly heard loud cracking noises around 9 pm. Alarmed by the sounds, locals helped many families evacuate, but part of the building collapsed before everyone could get out.According to the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), the building had been declared “dangerous” in September 2020. After repeated notices, the civic body issued eviction notices on June 5 this year and disconnected the building’s electricity and water supply.The civic body said property owners later began structural repair work without obtaining permission. On July 30, an inspection team led by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner found the structure unstable and evacuated around 40 residents and labourers.Officials said the contractor and workers were instructed to stop the repair work, but they ignored the order. Some residents also refused to leave the building.The civic commissioner has ordered criminal proceedings and strict action against the contractor for carrying out the alleged illegal repairs.Maharashtra Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the site and announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each victim.Speaking to the media, minister Girish Mahajan said, “I have briefed chief minister Devendra Fadnavis about the situation. Following directions from the CM, we are announcing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.”The minister added instructions have been issued to hospital authorities to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured persons at government expense.As a precaution, the administration evacuated residents from neighbouring buildings.“Directions have been given to the district administration to make temporary arrangements and provide full support to the evacuated residents of neighbouring buildings,” Minister Girish said.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and directed officials to register a case and take strict action against those responsible.Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said the building collapsed while repair work was underway.President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the deaths.“The news of the deaths of people in a building collapse accident in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, is extremely sad. I express my condolences to the grieving families. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this accident,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured.“Pained to hear about the loss of lives due to the collapse of a building in Thane, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. May the injured recover at the earliest,” the PM said in a post on X.A woman who survived the collapse said she remained trapped under the debris for hours before being rescued.“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 said.She alleged that residents had repeatedly warned those carrying out the repairs.“We warned them not to do the repairs in that manner, but they continued, leading to this disaster,” she said.Another survivor said her family escaped only because a neighbour asked them to move into his flat after cracks appeared in their home.“My husband, our two daughters and I lived on the second floor. When our portion of the building began to crack, the resident opposite us asked us to step into his house. That split-second decision saved our lives.“Otherwise, we too would have been buried alive under that mountain of concrete. We have lost everything — our home, our belongings. Our entire lives are gone,” she said.The BNCMC said the building owner had failed to comply with repeated notices issued since 2020. Mayor Narayan Chowdhari said there are around 130 to 140 “most dangerous” buildings in Bhiwandi that need to be evacuated immediately.
