Thane, 31 July  

At least 10 people were killed after a four-storey building, which had been tagged as 'dangerous' by the local civic body, collapsed in Bhiwandi of Maharashtra's Thane district, and efforts are underway to rescue two to three others believed to be still trapped under the rubble, officials said on Friday.

A portion of the Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar area of the powerloom town came crashing down at 11.20pm on Thursday, they said.

Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has instructed the authorities to register a case and take strict action against the culprits. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the incident occurred while the building was undergoing repair works.

The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) said it had identified the building as "dangerous" in September 2020, and finally issued eviction notices on 5 June this year, subsequently disconnecting electricity and water supply. But despite that, the property owners initiated structural repair works without obtaining any permission from the civic body.

The civic commissioner ordered a strict punitive action and criminal proceedings against the contractor involved in the "illegal" repair works.

Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said, "Nine persons were killed in the building collapse in Bhiwandi. A search and rescue operation is underway at the site." The structure comprised 48 rooms, 12 on each floor. Around 9pm on Thursday, residents heard "loud cracking sounds" emanating from the building, an official said.

Fearing the worst, locals immediately helped evacuate many families to other locations. However, while some occupants were still making their way out, the 'B' wing of the building caved in, he said.

A major multi-agency rescue operation comprising teams from the National Disaster Response Force, Thane Disaster Response Force and local fire brigade was launched. A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances, and heavy earth-moving machinery were also deployed.

As excavators cleared concrete chunks and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, armed with torches, crawled through terrifyingly narrow gaps in the rubble to look for survivors, residents of the building and locals stood in grief.

Struggling to control her emotions, a survivor thanked the Almighty for saving her from the "jaws of death". She recalled the horror of being trapped under mud and slush, while hearing her parents frantically call out her name from just a few feet away. "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.

The woman claimed that the repairs were not being carried out properly despite repeated warnings from residents. "We warned them not to do the repairs in that manner, but they continued, leading to this disaster," she said.

Another woman, clutching her child to her chest, stood in disbelief as she looked at what was once her second-floor 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 told the media.

Many residents have been left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Officials said five of the nine dead persons have been identified as Shamim Shaikh (32), Ranjeet Singh (45), Miraj Rasul Shaikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42) and Shamim Ansari (30).

In a statement, CM Fadnavis said, "The incident in Bhiwandi where several people lost their lives in a building collapse is deeply unfortunate...Instructions have been issued to the Municipal Commissioner to file a case immediately and take strict action against the culprits."

The injured are undergoing treatment, he said.

The residents of the building have been temporarily relocated, and assistance as per government rules will be provided to the families of the deceased, he added.

In a statement, the BNCMC said the building was identified as dangerous and a notice was first issued on 7 September, 2020, ordering property owners to submit a structural audit report. A reminder notice was served on 22 April, 2022.

Following continuous non-compliance, the civic body issued eviction notices on 5 June, 2026, subsequently disconnecting electricity and water supply to the premises and evacuating residing families. However, the property owners illegally initiated structural repair works, it said.

On 30 July, a civic team led by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner visited the site and noticed structural instability. The civic team immediately evacuated around 40 residents and labourers working there. The contractor and workers were asked to stop the repair work, but they refused to listen, it said, adding that a few residents also refused to step out.

Bhiwandi Mayor Narayan Chowdhari on Friday said, "There are at least 130 to 140 'most dangerous' buildings in Bhiwandi that need to be evacuated at once."