Four people were killed and several others injured after a four-storey building collapsed in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Friday, 24 November, officials said.
Three of the four deceased were identified as Ruksar Yakub Khan (18), Asfaque Mustaque Khan (38) and Jaibunissa Rafique Ansari (61).
Several others were feared trapped under the debris of the ‘Tahir Biznor’ building in Navi Vasti, according to Asmita Nikam, District Disaster Management Control Officer.
Due to the rescue operations, nine of the injured, which include a six-year old boy, have been admitted to the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the Civic Hospital, she added.
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A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act has been registered against the building's owner, Mohammad Tahir Rafique Ahmed Ansari (46), who is reportedly absconding, reported Firstpost.
The collapse occurred around 9 am, Regional Disaster Management Cell chief Santosh Kadam told reporters. "The body of Ruksana Khan was pulled out from the debris and five others were rescued and admitted to the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital here," Nikam was quoted as saying.
At least eight families lived in that building.
Shashikant Gaikwad, the tehsildar of Bhiwandi, had said that the building was over 10 years old and it was not in the list of dangerous buildings.
A combined force of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, along with fire-brigade personnel from Bhiwandi, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan civic bodies, had begun rescue and relief operations. The operations were called off at 6.45 am.
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Another Building Collapses in Delhi
Meanwhile, two people died as another old building collapsed in south east Delhi's Taimur Nagar on Friday morning, an official said.
A call was received at 9:50 am about the collapse and three fire tenders were rushed to the spot, a senior officer from the Delhi Fire Services said.
Rescue work is underway, he said.
(With inputs from PTI, Business Standard and Firstpost)
(This is a developing story and will be updated)
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