A structure already flagged as unsafe by civic authorities gave way during repair work, burying residents and workers under rubble as NDRF teams and sniffer dogs comb the debris.
A portion of a four-storey residential building in Bhiwandi, in Maharashtra’s Thane district, collapsed late Thursday night, leaving at least eight people dead and several more feared trapped. Around 11 people were caught under the debris when the structure gave way.
The Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar, Gangaram Wada, had already been declared dangerous by the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, yet repair work was reportedly being carried out on it at the time of the collapse.
According to Fire Officer Nitin Chavan of the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, six residents and five workers engaged in repairs were reported missing after the incident. By Friday morning, eight bodies had been pulled from the wreckage and moved to IGM hospital, though identification of the workers remained pending.
Residents reportedly heard loud cracking sounds emanating from the building between 8 and 9 pm, prompting neighbours to help evacuate several families. Despite this, a section of the building’s B Wing collapsed suddenly between 11 pm and 11:30 pm, trapping those still inside.
Teams from the NDRF, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, and Bhoiwada Police Station reached the site soon after, joined by sniffer dogs, ambulances, and a JCB excavator as part of the rescue effort, per the Thane Collectorate. The cause of the collapse is yet to be officially confirmed.
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