The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse in Maharashtra’s Thane district climbed to six on Friday as rescue teams continued searching for people feared trapped beneath the debris of a partially collapsed residential building.
According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), six bodies have been recovered so far, while rescue personnel remain engaged in an extensive search operation. “Six bodies of victims have been retrieved till now. Operations are still continuing,” the NDRF said.
The incident took place late on Thursday night when a section of the ‘B Wing’ of the four-storey Kohinoor Building suddenly collapsed in Bhiwandi. According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Disaster Management Cell, the collapse occurred between 11 pm and 11.30 pm, triggering panic among residents.
Officials said the building had already been declared unsafe by the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Despite being categorised as a dangerous structure, repair work was reportedly in progress when the collapse occurred.
The residential building consists of 48 rooms, with 12 rooms on each floor. Residents reportedly heard loud cracking noises from the structure between 8 pm and 9 pm, prompting many families to leave the building before the collapse. The timely warning by local residents helped several occupants escape, but some people who were still inside trying to evacuate became trapped when the affected portion gave way.
Authorities had earlier estimated that seven to eight people could be trapped under the debris. Among those feared trapped were Shamji Pal (46), Santosh Pandey alias Munna (42), Miraj Sheikh (35), along with a few workers whose identities had not yet been confirmed.
A large-scale rescue operation is continuing with teams from the NDRF, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, Bhoiwada Police, local administration and a dog squad working at the site. Heavy machinery, including a JCB, along with ambulances, has also been deployed to speed up the rescue efforts.
Authorities said the operation will continue until every missing person is accounted for. Further updates are awaited as rescue teams continue clearing the debris.
