3 Dead, Many Feared Trapped in Thane Building Collapse

Thane:  Three people have died after a three-storeyed building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Thane district late last night. 16 people have been pulled out of the debris; six are still feared trapped.

Local municipal authorities say the building had been served a notice declaring it a weak structure.

“The building was constructed in 1972. A few days ago it was declared a dangerous building after a structural audit and the corporation issued eviction notices but the building was not vacated. Yesterday parts of the building collapsed and today it collapsed completely,” KDMC Mayor Kalyani Patil said on Tuesday.

Rescue and relief operations have been hampered due to heavy rain since last night.

The injured have been rushed to the hospital.

The building – ‘Matru Chaya’ located at Thakurli – collapsed around 10.40 pm yesterday.

Initial reports suggest the building was old and collapsed following heavy downpour that had been on in the area since afternoon.  

Fire brigade teams from Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, and Ambernath and emergency disaster control teams have been rushed to the site.

One team from the  NDRF with 50 personnel  are at the site  for CSSR operations.

Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde told NDTV, “This had been declared a dangerous building. Our priority is to bring out those trapped inside as soon as possible, provide treatment and save lives.”