Nine killed, several injured after apartment building collapses near Mumbai

At least nine people were killed, and several others were injured after a portion of a four-storey building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi late Thursday (Jul 30). According to the officials, some people were feared to be trapped under the debris. The incident happened when the building was undergoing repair work. A rescue operation has been launched by authorities to locate those trapped. The structure, which is located in Balaji Nagar Gangaramwadi area, collapsed around 11:30 pm.

According to NDRF, nine bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far. “Nine bodies of victims have been retrieved till now. Operations are still continuing,” the force said in a statement. It added that an Assistant Commandant had sustained injuries during the rescue operation.

According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Disaster Management Cell, the building had been declared “dangerous” by the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Despite being classified as unsafe, it was undergoing repair work when the incident happened.

The building had 48 rooms, 12 on each floor, municipal officials said. According to officials, residents reported hearing “loud cracking sounds” from the structure around 9 pm. Local residents quickly began evacuating families from the premises and shifting them to safer locations. However, while some occupants were still trying to get out, the building’s B wing suddenly collapsed, an official said.

A large-scale rescue operation is in progress, involving teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), and the local fire brigade. Rescue personnel have deployed a dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances, and heavy earth-moving equipment at the site.

Earlier, authorities identified the people trapped under debris as Shamji Pal (46), Santosh Pandey alias Munna (42), and Miraj Sheikh (35). Several workers were also trapped, whose identities are yet to be confirmed.