At least six people died when a four-storey residential building collapsed late Thursday night in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Officials reported that several others may remain trapped under the debris.
The structure had 48 rooms and fell around 11:30 pm. Municipal authorities had previously declared it unsafe, and repair work was in progress at the time.
Residents heard loud cracking sounds near 9 pm and alerted officials, who evacuated several families. However, the B wing gave way while some occupants were still exiting.
Fire department personnel recovered six bodies from the rubble, most believed to be repair workers. Six people were pulled out alive, including an injured boy taken to a hospital. More individuals are feared trapped, and search operations continue.
A large rescue effort involving the National Disaster Response Force, local disaster teams, fire services and police is underway. Search dogs, four fire engines, two ambulances and heavy machinery have been deployed.
A municipal official stated that teams arrived after reports of cracks and began evacuating residents. Some occupants delayed leaving, and repair workers stayed inside. The roughly decade-old building was undergoing unauthorized repairs when it collapsed minutes after officials exited.
