250 residents rescued after portions of building crumble in Palghar; nobody injured

PALGHAR: Around 250 residents of a four-storey building at Nalasopara in Maharashtra's Palghar district were rescued after portions of the structure collapsed on Saturday afternoon, sending the occupants as well as authorities into a tizzy.

Nobody was injured in the incident that occurred around 12.30 pm in Roshni Apartments located in the Achole area of the township. The ten-year-old building comprised 56 flats, officials said.

It all began when a balcony section on the second floor of the building caved in and fell onto the first floor, which subsequently collapsed under the weight on the ground floor, a fire brigade official said.

After being alerted, personnel of the fire brigade and officials of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) and the local police force rushed to the site and launched a massive rescue and relief operation, he said.

The rescue teams swiftly evacuated all the occupants present in the building.

Around 250 people, mostly comprising women, children and elderly residents, were rescued and brought to safety. Most of the male residents were away at work at the time of the incident, he said.

The remaining portion of the building is in a precarious condition, the official said, adding that the structure has been completely sealed now.

The civic authorities will inspect the site and then take a final call on its demolition or further stabilisation.

The evacuated families have been shifted to temporary relief camps.

Food and essential supplies are being provided to the displaced residents by the ruling Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), a local leader said.

According to the fire brigade officials, the swift evacuation prevented what could have been a major tragedy.

Further assessment of nearby structures and the exact cause of the structural failure is currently underway by local municipal authorities.

Recently, 10 persons were killed after a four-storey building, classified as structurally unsafe collapsed during repair work in Bhiwandi town of neighbouring Thane district.