Thane (Maharashtra) [India], July 31 : The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse in Maharashtra's Thane district rose to nine as rescue teams recovered another body from the debris of a partially collapsed four-storey residential building on Friday.
Rescue operations are still underway to trace any remaining trapped persons, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.
According to the NDRF, nine bodies have been retrieved from the rubble so far.
"Nine bodies of victims have been retrieved till now. Operations are still continuing," the force said, adding that an Assistant Commandant also sustained injuries during the rescue operation.
The incident occurred between 11 pm and 11:30 pm on Thursday when a portion of the 'B Wing' of the Ground-plus-four-storey Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar, Gangaram Wada, Narapoli in Bhiwandi collapsed.
According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Disaster Management Cell, the building had already been declared dangerous by the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Despite being categorised as unsafe, repair work was reportedly underway when the incident took place.
The structure consisted of 48 rooms, with 12 rooms on each floor. Residents had reportedly heard cracking sounds from the building between 8 pm and 9 pm, prompting local citizens to help evacuate several families before the collapse. However, a few occupants who were still inside attempting to leave the building became trapped when the 'B Wing' gave way.
Authorities had earlier feared that seven to eight people, including Shamji Pal (46), Santosh Pandey alias Munna (42), Miraj Sheikh (35), and several workers whose identities are yet to be confirmed, were trapped beneath the debris.
A multi-agency rescue operation involving the NDRF, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, Bhoiwada Police Station, local administration, and a dog squad is continuing at the site. Two ambulances and a JCB machine have also been deployed to assist in the operation.
Further details are awaited as rescue teams continue to clear the debris and search for survivors.