A four-story building in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, collapsed late Thursday night, killing multiple people and leaving several others trapped in the rubble [1, 2, 3].
The disaster highlights the critical risks associated with dilapidated urban structures in the region, particularly those undergoing repairs while still occupied.
The collapse occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. [6]. Local authorities and rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force, were deployed to the site in the Thane district near Mumbai to conduct search and recovery operations [1, 2, 3].
Reports on the death toll vary across sources. Some reports indicate six deaths [1], while others state eight [2] or nine people died [1]. The Times of India said 10 people died in the incident [4]. Rescue teams said seven to eight people remain trapped beneath the debris [1].
The building had previously been declared unsafe and dangerous [1, 2]. It was reportedly undergoing repair work at the time of the collapse [1, 2].
Emergency responders continued to work through the night to locate survivors. The structure's partial collapse created a precarious environment for both the trapped residents and the rescue workers operating on the scene [3].
“The building had been declared unsafe and dangerous and was undergoing repair work when it collapsed.”
This incident underscores a systemic failure in urban safety enforcement, where buildings officially designated as dangerous remain inhabited or operational during repairs. The variance in casualty reports suggests a chaotic initial recovery phase, typical of sudden structural failures in densely populated areas of Maharashtra.
