A four-story illegal building in Vasai Virar, Palghar district of Maharashtra, collapsed on Tuesday night. 14 people have died in the accident, and 4-6 are injured. The NDRF team is continuing the search for people trapped in the debris.
Palghar: A four-story residential building named Ramabai Apartment in the Vasai-Virar area, adjacent to Mumbai, collapsed late Tuesday night. So far, 14 people have died in the accident, while NDRF and local administration teams are engaged in searching for other people trapped in the debris.
It was reported that the building was located in a narrow lane, due to which rescue vehicles and ambulances could not reach the site. Consequently, the NDRF had to conduct a manual search operation, which took considerable time. The team suspects that some people may still be trapped in the debris.
People trapped due to Ramabai Apartment collapse
According to information received from the scene, the collapsed portion of Ramabai Apartment fell onto an adjacent vacant building. This building was unauthorized and had a total of 50 flats, of which 12 apartments were in the collapsed section.
At the time of the incident, it was feared that about 20-25 people were trapped in the debris. So far, 6 bodies have been recovered from the debris, and the remaining deceased succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Police and administration have expedited the debris removal work.
Identification of deceased and injured in the accident
Police have so far identified seven deceased, including Aarohi Omkar Jovil (24) and her one-year-old daughter Utkarsha Jovil, Laxman Kisku Singh (26), Dinesh Prakash Sapkal (43), Supriya Niwalkar (38), Arnav Niwalkar (11), and Parvati Sapkal. Deep grief has spread among the families of the deceased.
District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar visited the site and stated that there is a possibility of some people still being buried under the debris. Affected families have been temporarily housed in Chandansar Samajmandir and are being provided with food, water, medical, and other essential services.
Builder arrested after the accident
Following a complaint from the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), the police have arrested the building's builder. Officials declared the building illegal and all adjacent chawls were evacuated. Police have warned that strict action will be taken against such unauthorized constructions in the future.
Security heightened after the accident
Palghar district administration and NDRF teams have expedited debris removal and search operations. Many families have been rendered homeless due to the accident. The administration evacuated the surrounding areas and shifted the affected people to safer locations.
Experts have warned that people living in illegal constructions and old buildings in Maharashtra should exercise extreme caution during the monsoon and rainfall.
