2 dead as building collapses in Bhiwandi

Mumbai: Two persons were killed and five others suffered injuries after a four-storey building collapsed in Bhiwandi town in Thane district. The incident occurred around 1.30 am on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as Shiraz Ansari (26) and Mohammad Akib Shaikh (27). Three others were removed from the debris and they are safe. Two firemen were also injured during the rescue operation.

Rescuers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the site and looking for survivors. The tragedy could have been much worse had the families residing in the building not been moved out in time. “The building named ‘Manahara’, located at Pirani Pada in Shantinagar area, was very old and dilapidated. On Friday night, some residents noticed cracks in the structure, following which evacuation process was initiated post midnight,” chief of regional disaster management cell (RDMC) of Thane Munici-pal Corporation (TMC) Santosh Kadam said.

He further added, “However, even after the evacuation, some residents returned to the building, after which it collapsed around 1.30 am. Two persons died in the crash and their bodies were recovered from the debris.”

According to reports, the building was only eight-year-old and was built illegally. Around 6.30 pm on Friday, the residents experienced vibrations and three hours later the locals spotted cracks on the building. The Thane-Bhiwandi disaster management unit were immediately pressed into action to rescue the people from the debris.