13 killed as 30-year-old building collapses on sleeping residents
At least 13 people including seven children were killed and many others are feared trapped after a three-storey building collapsed at Bhiwandi in Maharashtra’s Thane. Officials said that 20 people, including a 4-year-old boy, were rescued.
According to Bhiwandi police a case under section 337, 338 and 304 (2) of the IPC was being registered against the owner of the building identified as Sayyed Ahmed Jilani.
The police ruled out any possibility of finding more survivors or bodies in the debris.
The incident happened at around 3.40 am when a three-storey building collapsed and people were fast asleep at that time. According to an eyewitness, soon after the incident local people started a rescue operation and pulled out some people from the rubble. Soon a team of Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) reached the spot and started rescue operation.
Those rescued include a four-year-old boy identified as Ubed Qureshi while among the dead was a two-year-old boy.
The ill-fated Jhilani building was constructed around 30-years ago at Narpoli’s Patel Compound near Dhamankar Naka. According to an official it had 40 rooms and around 150 people were residing in it.
It has also come to light that the building was not in the list of dilapidated structures of BhiwandiNizampur Municipal Corporation.
Later, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the spot and rescue operation was underway till writing of this news.
NDRF DG S.N. Pradhan said that the team used a canine squad to search persons trapped in the debris.
Bhiwandi on Monday received good rains which disturbed the rescue operation to some extent.
Dr Pankaj Asiya, the Municipal Commissioner of Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) said, “The building was on a dangerous building list and notice was issued by the civic body to vacate it.”
The BNMC has suspended two senior officials in connection with the building collapse. An official release said the then Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sudam Jadhav and an engineer and Verification Officer Dudhnath Yadav have been suspended. An inquiry committee has also been set up and will include the assistant town planner.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident and tweeted, “Saddened by the building collapse in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. condolence to the bereaved families. Praying for a quick recovery of those injured. Rescue operations are underway and all possible assistance is being provided to the affected.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also expressed pain over the incident and his office has instructed the administration to ensure proper rescue operation and treatment to the injured.
The Chief Minister was supposed to e-inaugurate a newly constructed flyover in the town at 1.30 pm. However, that event was cancelled because of the building collapse.
Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde said the collapse would be probed. He visited the site and announced a compensation of `5 lakh to the kin of each victim.