Collapse of illegal Bhiwandi structure: Toll rises to four, building owner arrested

Rescue operations at the site of Mumbai’s three-story Tahir Bijnore building were completed around 7 am on Saturday

The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse has increased to four, with the body of 35-year-old Parveen Khan found under the debris early on Saturday.

Residents search for their belongings amid the rubble on Saturday. (Praful Gangurde)

Rescue operations at the site of the three-story Tahir Bijnore building, which fell on Friday morning, were completed around 7 am on Saturday, with all the residents accounted for.

The building’s owner, Mohammad Tahir Rafiq Ahmed, 46, was arrested on Saturday, under sections of culpable homicide and causing hurt by negligence of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act. He will be produced in court on Sunday.

“Ansari’s mother, Jaibunisa Ansari, 61, was one of the collapse victims. He was detained for a day and arrested after he completed the final rites of his mother. We have beefed up security in the locality,” said Dinesh Katke, senior inspector, Bhiwandi city police station.

Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) officials said they will initiate a weekly programme to take action against illegal constructions.

On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team had rescued nine people, while three were crushed under the debris.

After the body of Ashfaq Khan was recovered at 3 pm on Friday, his family alerted the rescuers that his wife, Parveen, had still not been traced.

“We had deployed machinery to find Parveen, but she was untraceable. We did not think that there was anyone trapped, but her family’s persistence led to us finding the body. When we cleared the ground-floor rubble at 5.15 am, we saw her,” said Suresh Gaikwad, resident disaster management officer of BNMC.

The seven-year-old structure, Tahir Bijnore building in Navi Basti, Bhiwandi was illegal and constructed using sub-standard building material, said official sources.

“The building was constructed on forest land. The owner did not seek permission from the corporation and so not only was the building constructed in a haphazard way, but is also unauthorised. No development rules were adhered to during the construction,” said Ashok Rankhamb acting commissioner, BNCMC.