At least nine people have lost their lives and several others are feared trapped after a four-storey residential structure partially collapsed late Thursday night in Bhiwandi, located in Maharashtra’s Thane district near Mumbai. Emergency response teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local fire services, are conducting an intensive overnight and daytime search and rescue operation to locate survivors beneath the rubble.
Late-Night Collapse Traps Occupants and Repair Workers
The tragedy occurred at the four-storey Kohinoor Building situated in the Balaji Nagar area of Gangaram Wada, Bhiwandi. The structure comprised 48 rooms across four floors. According to local authorities and eye-witness accounts, residents began hearing loud cracking sounds coming from the building structure between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM on Thursday night.
Noticing the alarming signs of structural distress, neighbors and residents acted swiftly to evacuate several families from the premises. However, at around 11:30 PM, a major portion of the building’s 'B' wing suddenly gave way and collapsed into a pile of concrete and twisted metal. Several occupants who were still inside, along with labourers engaged in late-night repair work on the pillars, were crushed under the debris.
Massive Multi-Agency Rescue Operations in Motion
Rescue teams rushed to the site shortly after receiving emergency calls. Teams from the NDRF, Thane Disaster Response Force, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, and local police have joined forces to clear the wreckage and rescue trapped individuals. Heavy earthmoving machinery, including JCB excavators, cutter tools, ambulances, and specialized canine units (dog squads), have been deployed to detect signs of life under the fallen slabs.
officials noted that search efforts are delicate and hazardous due to the instability of the remaining structure. As of Friday morning, nine bodies have been recovered from the site and transferred to IGM Hospital for post-mortem and identification procedures. At least three severely injured survivors have been rescued and are currently undergoing treatment. Authorities estimate that four to eight more individuals may still be trapped.
Building Was Previously Declared Unsafe by Civic Authorities
Officials from the Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) confirmed that the Kohinoor Building had previously been categorized as dangerous and structurally unsafe. Civic officials had issued multiple eviction notices instructing residents to vacate the premises due to the severe structural risks.
While a majority of families had moved out following civic notices, some residents continued to live there. At the time of the catastrophic collapse, structural repair work was actively being carried out on the building’s load-bearing pillars, which may have triggered the structural failure. Municipal and police authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine accountability and whether proper safety protocols were violated during the unauthorized or unsafe repair work.
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