Death Toll Rises to 10 After Unsafe Building Collapses in Bhiwandi

At least ten people died after a four storey residential building collapsed late Thursday night in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. The Kohinoor Building, located in Balaji Nagar, consisted of 48 rooms with 12 rooms on each floor. The Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation had previously declared the structure unsafe for occupation, yet repair work was in progress at the time of the collapse. Residents reported hearing loud cracking sounds between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. prompting neighbors to help evacuate several families. Between 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. the B Wing of the building gave way, trapping occupants and workers. Those reported missing include Shamji Pal, Santosh Pandey, and Miraj Sheikh, along with several unidentified workers. A multi agency rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force, the Thane Disaster Response Force, and the local fire brigade has been deployed. Teams are using sniffer dogs, ambulances, and heavy earth moving machinery to search for several people still feared trapped under the debris. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced ex gratia relief of 2 lakh rupees for the kin of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident unfortunate and stated that action would be taken against the contractor who continued repair work despite the municipal notice. This event contributes to a total of 27 rain related deaths in the Thane district during the current monsoon season.