Mumbai, July 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse in Maharashtra’s Thane district has risen to nine, with rescue teams recovering bodies from the debris as search operations continue to locate possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapse occurred late Thursday night at the four-storey Kohinoor Building in the Balaji Nagar area of Bhiwandi while repair work was reportedly underway. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said rescue operations were still in progress, with authorities fearing that more people could remain trapped.
Officials said the incident took place around 11:30 p.m. The building, which had 48 rooms with 12 rooms on each floor, had earlier been declared dangerous by the local civic body.
Residents said they noticed warning signs before the collapse, with people hearing cracking sounds from the structure around 9 p.m. Local residents immediately began helping families evacuate the building. However, while some occupants were still leaving, the ‘B’ wing of the structure suddenly collapsed, trapping several people under the debris.
Survivors described scenes of panic as residents attempted to escape. Deepak Kumar Yadav, who managed to survive, said repair work was being carried out on pillars of a nearby building before the collapse. He said he jumped from the first floor to save his life after hearing the structure come down.
Another resident, Neha Singh, said her husband Ranjeet Singh went downstairs shortly before the collapse and had been missing since the incident. She said his phone was ringing but he was not responding.
Survivor Sangeeta Prajapati said she was in the parking area when she heard the building cracking and suffered injuries while trying to escape.
Teams from the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other agencies reached the site soon after receiving information. Rescue workers continued debris removal with the help of heavy machinery, though officials said darkness and the scale of the rubble were making operations challenging.
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