Maharashtra: 2 dead, 4 injured as portion of decrepit building collapses in Bhiwandi

A portion of a two-storey building collapsed on Saturday midnight in the Gauripada area of Bhiwandi city leaving two persons dead, officials said, adding that the building is said to be forty-five years old.

Further, according to officials, as many as 6 civilians, who resided in the building and were trapped under the debris of the collapsed portion, were pulled out in a joint operation by the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade and other rescue teams.

Of the six people rescued, four were admitted to a hospital while the other two, identified as 40-year-old Uzma and an 8-month-old girl, were declared dead at the hospital, officials said.

The building, which had been standing for over four decades, was in a dilapidated state, the officials informed further, adding that the local municipal corporation had even issued a notice to the occupants, asking them to vacate the building.

However, the notice fell on deaf ears.

While the front portion of the two-storey structure still stands, the rear portion caved in completely trapping many under the debris.

As soon as word of the incident was received, firefighters from the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade reached the spot in three engines and launched a rescue operation.

The four injured residents are undergoing treatment at Al-Moin Hospital, officials said.

Sachin Dubey, the team officer of the Target Disaster Response Force (TDRF), said, "We reached the spot around 1.30 am and managed to rescue six occupants from under the debris. The injured were shifted to a hospital."