Three people were killed after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi late on Thursday night, with seven to eight people feared trapped under the debris, officials said.
The structure had 48 rooms, with 12 on each floor and came crashing down at around 11.30 pm, municipal officials said. The civic body had earlier declared the building dangerous and repair work was underway at the time of the collapse.
Residents said they heard loud cracking sounds from the building around 9 pm on Thursday. Alarmed by the noise, locals helped evacuate several families from the premises. However, while some occupants were still making their way out, the building’s B Wing suddenly caved in.
According to fire officials, three bodies have been recovered from the rubble, while an injured boy was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital. They added that seven to eight people are still believed to be trapped beneath the debris and search and rescue operations are underway.
A large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies is in progress. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), the local fire brigade and police are carrying out rescue efforts. A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances and heavy earth-moving machinery have been deployed at the site.
Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.
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