Maharashtra: 10 killed in Bhiwandi building collapse; NDRF searches debris for survivors

Ten people were killed and at least three others injured after a portion of the fourstorey Kohinoor building collapsed in Balaji Nagar Gangaram Wadi Bhiwandi around 1130 pm on Thursday Rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force NDRF Thane Disaster Response Force TDRF the fire brigade police and the BhiwandiNizampur Municipal Corporation continued through Friday with authorities searching the debris for any remaining victimsClassified dangerousRescue personnel carry a body recovered from the rubble PICPTIOfficials said the residential building had been classified as dangerous by the civic body and was undergoing repairs when a portion of the structure gave way The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained However senior officials present during the excavation operation told midday that the pillars of the building were weakening and hence residents were told to vacate and initiate repair worksMassive rescue opRescue workers use earthmoving machinery to clear the site PICPTIA massive rescue operation was launched soon after the incident Heavy machinery including excavators was deployed to clear the rubble while rescue personnel carried out manual searches to locate those trapped beneath debrisProbe orderedThe Thane district administration has ordered an inquiry Officials are examining whether the building owner contractor or any other persons were negligent and whether repair work was undertaken despite the structure being declared unsafe They are also probing whether adequate precautionary measures had been taken before repairs beganRepairs before collapseDamaged remains at the site PICPTIRepair work on the damaged pillars of Kohinoor building was underway just minutes before the collapse according to residents who said they had grown increasingly anxious as cracks began appearing in the building Videos and photographs accessed by midday show labourers carrying out repair work shortly before the collapse Several occupants said they felt vibrations during the repair work prompting some families to step outStructural auditOfficials confirmed that repair work was in progress However it hasnrsquot been established whether the work contributed to the incident The exact cause will be determined after a detailed structural assessment and the inquiry ordered by the district administrationMany jumpedResidents said they heard a loud thud moments before the building began collapsing prompting many of them to jump from their respective floors to save their lives While most landed safely at least three residents sustained fractures in the processThe deceasedgtgt Shamim Sheikh 32gtgt Ranjit Singh 45gtgt Radheshyam Kushwaha 50gtgt Miraj Rasool Sheikh 34gtgt Santosh Kumar Pandey 42gtgt Shamim Ansari 30gtgt Rakesh Paswan 2530gtgt Mukesh Paswan 40gtgt Ashok Paswan 45gtgt Shyamji Pal 48Resident SpeakDeepak Yadav 25 who fractured his right leglsquoThere was barely any time to think It all happened within seconds Everyone was jumping In that state of panic I simply followed themrsquoKohinoor building residentlsquoThe notices mentioned these exact pillars Residents were asked to vacate the building before the repairs began but not everyone left On Thursday night the labourers started breaking portions of the pillars when fresh cracks began appearing Within minutes the building gave wayrsquoAbhay Kumar Yadav 26 who suffered fractures in both legslsquoRepair work was going on in the building and people were discussing it but I was exhausted and hungry My family and I including my nephew Deepak sat down for dinner We thought we would check what was happening after we finished eating Just as we finished dinner the floor started shaking and making squeaking noises We didnrsquot think twice We saw others jumping so we jumped too A fractured leg is better than dying We wonrsquot go back therersquoKohinoor building residentlsquoI had just returned home from work and we were having dinner We could hear the labourers carrying out the repair work A few minutes later we heard loud cracking sounds and people started shouting that the building was collapsingrsquo1130Time the building collapsed on Thursday