Virar: A tragic building collapse late Tuesday night in Palghar district’s Virar claimed two lives and left several injured, while rescue operations continue. The rear portion of Ramabai Apartment, a four-storey building, crumbled around 11:30 pm, crashing onto an adjoining chawl and trapping multiple residents under debris.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Department, and Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation immediately launched a joint rescue operation. NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh confirmed that two NDRF teams, one each from Mumbai and Palghar, were deployed right after the alert at midnight.
In the initial search, four people were pulled out; one was dead and three were rescued alive. Tragically, a one-year-old child, Utkarsha Jovil, died on the way to the hospital. So far, 11 individuals have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals in Virar and Nala Sopara.
The deceased have been identified as 24-year-old Aarohi Omkar Jovil and one-year-old Utkarsha Jovil. The injured include Prabhakar Shinde (57), Pramila Shinde (50), Prerna Shinde (20), Vishakha Jovil (24), Manthan Shinde (19), and Sanjoy Singh (24). Others, including Pradeep Kadam (40), Jayashree Kadam (33), and Mitali Parmar (28), were discharged after first aid.
Deputy Commander Singh warned that about five people may still be trapped. The narrow lanes prevent the use of heavy machinery, meaning rescue efforts are being conducted manually.
