Ten killed as 4-storey building, declared unsafe in 2020, collapses in Bhiwandi town

THANE: At least 10 people were killed and three others injured after a four-storey residential building, tagged as 'dangerous' in 2020 by the local civic body and currently undergoing repairs illegally, collapsed in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Friday.

Hectic efforts were on to rescue three other residents believed to be still trapped under the rubble, several hours after the collapse, they said.

A portion of the Kohinoor Building in the Balaji Nagar area of the powerloom town, around 50km from Mumbai, came crashing down at 11.20 pm on Thursday.

Rescue workers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), and the municipal fire brigade pulled out ten bodies as heavy machinery and sniffer dogs were deployed to look for survivors under the debris of the four-storey structure, said the officials of the district disaster management cell.

The structure comprised 48 rooms, 12 on each floor. Around 9 pm on Thursday, residents heard "loud cracking sounds" emanating from the building, an official said.

Fearing the worst, locals immediately helped evacuate many families to other locations. However, while some occupants were still making their way out, the 'B' wing of the building caved in, he said.

The officials said five of the deceased were identified as Shamim Shaikh (32), Ranjeet Singh (45), Miraj Rasul Shaikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42) and Shamim Ansari (30).

The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) said it had identified the building as "dangerous" in September 2020, and finally issued eviction notices on June 5 this year, subsequently disconnecting electricity and water supply. But despite that, the property owners initiated structural repair works without obtaining any permission from the civic body.

Hours before the crash, on July 30, 2026, a civic team led by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner visited the site and noticed structural instability. The team immediately evacuated around 40 residents and labourers working there, said the civic body.

The contractor and workers were asked to stop the repair work, but they refused to listen, it said, adding a few residents also refused to step out.

The civic commissioner ordered a strict punitive action and criminal proceedings against the contractor involved in the "illegal" repair works.

Maharashtra Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the disaster site to inspect the ongoing relief operation and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

Interacting with the media, he said, "I have briefed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the situation. Following directions from the CM, we are announcing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident."

The minister added instructions have been issued to hospital authorities to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured persons at government expense.

As a preventive measure, the local administration has evacuated residents living in structures adjacent to the collapsed building.

"Directions have been given to the district administration to make temporary arrangements and provide full support to the evacuated residents of neighbouring buildings," Mahajan said.

Expressing grief over the crash, Fadnavis said he has instructed the authorities to register a case and take strict action against the culprits.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the incident occurred while the building was undergoing repair works.

A major multi-agency rescue operation comprising teams from the National Disaster Response Force, Thane Disaster Response Force and local fire brigade was launched after the collapse. A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances, and heavy earth-moving machinery were deployed at the site.

As excavators cleared concrete chunks and NDRF personnel, armed with torches, crawled through terrifyingly narrow gaps in the rubble to look for survivors, residents of the building and locals stood in grief.

Struggling to control her emotions, a survivor thanked the Almighty for saving her from the "jaws of death". She recalled the horror of being trapped under mud and slush, while hearing her parents frantically call out her name from just a few feet away.

"I too was screaming at the top of my voice, but the debris swallowed my cries. My voice couldn’t reach them. I remained buried in that cold marsh for agonising hours before the rescue team pulled me out alive," she said.

The woman claimed that the repairs were not being carried out properly despite repeated warnings from residents. "We warned them not to do the repairs in that manner, but they continued, leading to this disaster," she said.

Another woman, clutching her child to her chest, stood in disbelief as she looked at what was once her second-floor home.

"My husband, our two daughters and I lived on the second floor. When our portion of the building began to crack, the resident opposite us asked us to step into his house. That split-second decision saved our lives.

"Otherwise, we too would have been buried alive under that mountain of concrete. We have lost everything -- our home, our belongings. Our entire lives are gone," she told the media.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the building collapse.

"The news of the deaths of people in a building collapse accident in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, is extremely sad. I express my condolences to the grieving families. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this accident," Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.

Modi announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those who died and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

“Pained to hear about the loss of lives due to the collapse of a building in Thane, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. May the injured recover at the earliest," the PM said in a post on X.

In a statement in Mumbai, Fadnavis said, "Instructions have been issued to the Municipal Commissioner to file a case immediately and take strict action against the culprits."

In a statement, the BNCMC said the building was identified as "dangerous" and a notice was first issued on September 7, 2020, ordering property owners to submit a structural audit report. A reminder notice was served on April 22, 2022.

Following continuous non-compliance, the civic body issued eviction notices on June 5, 2026, subsequently disconnecting electricity and water supply to the premises and evacuating residing families. However, the property owners illegally initiated structural repair works, it said.

"There are at least 130 to 140 'most dangerous' buildings in Bhiwandi that need to be evacuated at once," Mayor Narayan Chowdhari said.