Bhiwandi Building Collapse Kills At Least Nine, Several Feared Trapped

At least nine people have died after a wing of a residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district late on Thursday night. Rescue operations continued on Friday, with officials estimating that seven to eight people were still trapped beneath the debris.

A section of the four-storey Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar collapsed at around 11.30 pm on July 30.

According to officials, one injured boy was rescued from the rubble and taken to a nearby hospital. Rescue personnel recovered several bodies during the overnight operation, while search efforts remained underway.

Building Had Been Declared Dangerous

Civic officials said the building comprised 48 rooms, with 12 on each floor, and had previously been declared dangerous by the municipal authorities. Repair work was reportedly underway at the time of the incident.

Officials said residents heard loud cracking sounds from the structure at around 9 pm on Thursday. Alarmed by the noise, local residents helped evacuate several families from the building.

However, while some occupants were still leaving the premises, the building's 'B' wing collapsed, trapping several people under the debris.

Multi-Agency Rescue Operation

A large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies is underway at the site.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force, the local fire brigade and civic authorities have been deployed for search and rescue efforts.

A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances and heavy earth-moving machinery are also being used to clear the debris and locate those feared trapped.

Rescue operations are continuing as authorities assess the extent of the damage and search for survivors.