Building collapses in Bhiwandi near Mumbai, 4 dead

• Four bodies recovered from collapsed building in Bhiwandi
• Ten people feared trapped after Kohinoor Apartment B-Wing collapse
• Rescue operations continue as authorities had previously declared it unsafe

Mumbai: Four bodies have been recovered from the debris of the collapsed four-storey building at Gangaram Wadi in Bhiwandi, while around 10 people are

still feared trapped, officials said on Friday. The incident took place on Thursday, after a portion of the B-Wing of Kohinoor Apartment in Gangaram Wadi, Bhandari Compound, under Ward Committee No. 4, collapsed suddenly. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) cut through steel reinforcement bars to retrieve the bodies from the rubble. The bodies have been sent to IGM Hospital for post-mortem examination. Rescue operations are continuing with emergency personnel searching the debris for survivors or additional victims. According to preliminary information, the building had already been declared dangerous and evacuated by the authorities. However, a few people had entered the premises to retrieve belongings, while repair work was also underway.

Building Had Been Declared Unsafe, Most Residents Evacuated

According to information by BJP MLA Mahesh Choughule, the collapsed portion of the building had already been vacated and repair work was in progress. The MLA also stated that the administration had issued four notices to the building, declaring it unsafe, and that most residents had already been evacuated.

"This is the Kohinoor building in the Bhandari Compound at Narpoli. There was another building adjacent to it. The Municipal Corporation had classified it as 'Category C', meaning it was deemed dangerous. Although the building had been vacated, some people were working on the ground floor. It appears that around six or seven people might be trapped, comprising the laborers who were working there... The NDRF team has arrived and the police are present as well. The entire Municipal Corporation team is engaged in the effor," the BJP MLA said.

The city has long faced concerns over illegally constructed buildings, many of which are allegedly built without adhering to mandatory safety norms, raising repeated questions over structural safety and enforcement.