Building collapses in Bhiwandi: One killed, many feared trapped

At least eight people are said to be trapped in the debris; rescue operations are underway

An 18-year-old girl has died and many others are feared trapped after a three-storeyed residential building collapsed in Bhiwandi on Friday morning. The building, Tahir Dijnore, is located at KG Nagar, Navi Basti in Bhiwandi, a city in Thane district around 20 km from Mumbai.

Eight people are feared trapped in Tahir Bijnori building, located at Navi Basti in Bhiwandi, which collapsed on Friday morning. (Praful Gangurde/HT)

Building collapses in 2016

Nov 18, 2016: A 40-year-old dilapidated Suryarao building, declared unfit for occupation, collapsed, killing one person.

Sep 30, 2016: The pillar of a five-year-old building, Noor Complex, tilted around midnight. The four-storey building in Naigaon, Gaibi Nagar, had developed cracks earlier.

Aug 8, 2016: A two-storey building collapsed at Hanuman Tekri, killing eight people.

Jul 31, 2016: Nine people were killed and 10 injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Gaibi Nagar.

“The incident happened at 9.08am, and we have rushed help to the spot immediately,” said Sunil Zhalke, public relations officer, Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation ( BNCMC). “We fear that eight people are still trapped under the debris. The dead body of a woman has been pulled out. Rescue operations are underway.”

The one fatality has been identified as Vruksa Ahmed Khan.

READ: 1 killed, 3 hurt in Thane after building slab collapses on them while they’re asleep

Five people have been rescued and rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi, said Ashok Rankhamb, acting commissioner, BNCMC. Four of the injured have been identified as Khwaja Ahmed Sayyed, 70, Vihang Gabbar Khan, 8, Salma Tahir Aazmi and Abdul Asif Khan.

The ground plus three-storey building is just seven years old, Zhalke said. “We are trying to figure out whether it was on the list of dangerous structures or not.” Locals at the spot said the building is on forest land and therefore an illegal construction. Located in the interiors of Bhiwandi, the structure does not have easy road access.

Two fire engines, two ambulances and a disaster management team from the BNCMC are already on the site, as are one fire engine and one rescue vehicle from the Thane Municipal Corporation, which is also sending a disaster management officer with 50 labourers, 10 gas-cutters and more personnel.

Bhiwandi has seen several building collapses over the years. In 2016, during the monsoon, four buildings collapsed in the city, which has a lot of spurious and illegal constructions.