Mumbai: 20 persons, including 9 children died and 25 others were rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi town. The incident happened at around 3:40 am on Monday while the residents were asleep. The injured were rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital in Bhiwandi while the survivors were taken to hospitals in Kalwa, Thane and Mumbai.
Bhiwandi is a power loom town around 10-kms from Thane and 50-kms from Mumbai. The building had 40 flats and around 150 persons lived there. A building resident said most residents of the building were tenants and included auto rickshaw drivers, vendors and labourers.
Thane Disaster Response Force, Fire Brigade and NDRF were engaged in the rescue operation. NDRF DG S N Pradhan said they were using acanine squad to search people trapped under the debris.
Urban Development Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each victim.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray instructed the administration to ensure proper rescue operation is conducted and the injured are given proper care.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolence to the families of the victims of Bhiwandi building collapse and assured that all necessary help was being given to the affected.
“Saddened by the building collapse in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Condolences 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,” PM Modi tweeted.