A ground-plus-two-storey residential building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi, killing four people and injuring several others. Rescue teams continued search operations for more than 20 hours after the incident, fearing that more people could still be trapped under the debris.
Around 10 injured people were admitted to hospital after being rescued. Two children, Prem and Prince, were safely pulled out from the collapsed structure.
Police, the Target Disaster Response Force (TDRF), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are carrying out the rescue operation. On Sunday morning, rescue personnel successfully pulled 42-year-old Sunil Pisal alive from the rubble.
The victims have been identified as Navnath Sawant (43), Lalita Ravi Mahto (26), and five-year-old Sona Mukesh Kori, while another victim was later confirmed dead during the ongoing operation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited both the accident site and the injured victims at Indira Gandhi Hospital. He announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for the families of each deceased victim.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to immediately survey unsafe buildings across the region before the monsoon, stressing the need to prevent similar tragedies. He added that decisions regarding the redevelopment of the collapsed building site would be taken soon.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the condition of ageing buildings in Bhiwandi, where numerous building collapses over the past few years have claimed dozens of lives.
