At least 15 people were killed and several others are feared trapped after a rear section of an unauthorised four-storey building collapsed onto an adjacent vacant chawl in Maharashtra’s Virar early Wednesday, officials said.
Among the dead are a 24-year-old woman and her infant daughter. Authorities said six others remain critically injured. The structure, declared “illegal” by the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), came crashing down at 12:05 a.m.
Rescue operations have stretched for more than 20 hours, with units of the National Disaster Response Force and civic teams working to clear rubble. Officials said the congested location delayed the use of heavy machinery, forcing crews to begin manually removing debris.
District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar confirmed that some people could still be trapped under the debris. The collapse has also rendered several families homeless. Those displaced have been shifted to Chandansar Samajmandir and are being provided with food, water and medical assistance.
Authorities have so far identified seven victims: Arohi Omkar Jovil, 24, her daughter Utkarsha, 1, Laxman Kisku Singh, 26, Dinesh Prakash Sapkal, 43, Supriya Nivalkar, 38, Arnav Nivalkar, 11, and Parvati Sapkal.
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Officials said some victims were pulled out of the rubble, while others succumbed to injuries during treatment at nearby hospitals.
The collapse site contained 50 flats in total, with the affected rear section housing 12 apartments. While the chawl it fell upon was vacant, adjoining residents were evacuated as a precaution.
Police have arrested builder Nital Gopinath Sane after the VVMC complained to him. A case has also been registered against the landowner. The charges include violations under sections 52, 53 and 54 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, along with section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
VVMC Assistant Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves said debris clearance is now “progressing on a war footing.”
“As of now, debris clearance is still underway. For the first several hours, the debris had to be cleared manually by civic teams and two units of the NDRF. Now, the operation is being carried out with machinery and progressing on a war footing,” Gonsalves told the media.
Officials said the building was originally constructed between 2008 and 2009 with 54 flats and four shops, though residents recalled that parts of it were modified in 2012.
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