Bhiwandi building collapse toll now 10, structure declared unsafe in 2020

The death toll rose to 10 with three more injured after a four-storey residential building, declared 'dangerous' by the local civic body in 2020 and allegedly undergoing unauthorised repairs, collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town late on Thursday night, officials said.

On Friday, 31 July, rescue teams continued searching for three people feared trapped under the debris several hours after the collapse.

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

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) and the municipal fire brigade recovered 10 bodies from the rubble as excavators, sniffer dogs and other equipment were deployed in the search for survivors, officials from the district disaster management cell said.

The four-storey building comprised 48 rooms, 12 on each floor. According to officials, residents heard loud cracking noises at around 9.00 pm and began evacuating the premises with the help of neighbours. While many residents managed to escape, the building's B-wing collapsed before everyone could get out.

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 identities of the remaining victims were yet to be officially confirmed.

The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) said it had classified the building as 'dangerous' in September 2020 and had repeatedly asked the owners to submit a structural audit report. After continued non-compliance, eviction notices were issued on 5 June this year, and the building's electricity and water lines were disconnected.

Despite this, the owners allegedly began structural repair work without obtaining the civic body's permission. According to the BNCMC, a civic team led by an assistant municipal commissioner inspected the building on Thursday, hours before the collapse, and found it structurally unstable. Around 40 residents and labourers were evacuated immediately.

The contractor and workers were instructed to halt the repair work but allegedly ignored the order. Officials said a few residents also refused to vacate the building. The civic commissioner has ordered criminal proceedings and other punitive action against the contractor engaged in the alleged illegal repair work.

Maharashtra water resources and disaster management minister Girish Mahajan visited the site and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those killed. "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," Mahajan said.

He added that government hospitals had been directed to provide the best possible treatment to those injured.

As a precaution, residents of neighbouring buildings were evacuated. "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 incident, Fadnavis said he had directed officials to register a criminal case and take strict action against those responsible. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said the collapse occurred while repair work was underway.

A multi-agency rescue operation involving the NDRF, TDRF, local fire brigade, dog squads, ambulances and heavy earth-moving equipment continued through Friday. As rescue personnel crawled through narrow gaps in the rubble in search of survivors, distraught residents watched helplessly from the site.

One survivor said she remained trapped beneath mud and debris for hours while hearing her parents desperately call out her name. "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.

She alleged that residents had repeatedly warned that the repair work was being carried out improperly. "We warned them not to do the repairs in that manner, but they continued, leading to this disaster," she said.

Another survivor, holding her child, said a neighbour's timely intervention had saved her family. "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 said.

President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives. In a post on X, Murmu said, '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.'

Modi announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured. In a post on X, the prime minister said, '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.'

In a separate statement, Fadnavis said, "Instructions have been issued to the municipal commissioner to file a case immediately and take strict action against the culprits."

The BNCMC reiterated that the building had first been declared unsafe on 7 September 2020, with reminder notices issued in April 2022 before eviction notices were finally served in June this year. Bhiwandi mayor Narayan Chowdhari said there were between 130 and 140 buildings in the town categorised as 'most dangerous' that required immediate evacuation.

With PTI inputs