Ten Dead in Bhiwandi Building Collapse as Rescue Teams Scour Debris

A tragic structural collapse in Balaji Nagar, Gangaram Wadi, reportedly claimed ten lives and left at least three people injured late Thursday night when a portion of the four-storey Kohinoor building caved in during ongoing repair work.

The incident occurred at approximately 11.30 pm, triggering an immediate, large-scale search and rescue operation led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), fire brigade personnel, local police, and the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Heavy machinery and excavators were deployed through Friday to clear massive piles of rubble, while rescue crews manually dug through the debris to search for survivors.

Civic officials reportedly confirmed that the residential building had previously been classified as dangerous. While residents were instructed to vacate so repairs could be made to weakening support pillars, several families remained inside.

Panic and Desperate Leaps as Pillars Gave Way

Distressing accounts from survivors reveal that active repair work on the building’s load-bearing pillars was underway just minutes before the disaster struck. Cracks had begun appearing rapidly, causing noticeable vibrations throughout the structure.

"Just as we finished dinner, the floor started shaking and making squeaking noises," reporteddly said 26-year-old resident Abhay Kumar Yadav, who suffered fractures in both legs.
"We didn’t think twice. We saw others jumping, so we jumped too. A fractured leg is better than dying."

As loud cracking sounds echoed through the building, multiple occupants leapt from upper floors in a desperate bid to save themselves. Three survivors sustained severe fractures during the drop.

The ten victims who lost their lives have been reportedly identified as Shamim Sheikh (32), Ranjit Singh (45), Radheshyam Kushwaha (50), Miraj Rasool Sheikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42), Shamim Ansari (30), Rakesh Paswan (25–30), Mukesh Paswan (40), Ashok Paswan (45), and Shyamji Pal (48).

District Administration Orders Inquiry into Structural Negligence

The Thane district administration has officially launched a probe to determine the exact cause of the collapse and assess potential negligence. Authorities are examining whether the contractor, building owner, or municipal officials failed to enforce mandatory evacuation orders or take required safety precautions before commencing high-risk structural repairs.

Photos and videos surfaced online showing laborers hammering away at damaged support columns shortly before the structure buckled. A full structural audit will follow the ongoing excavation operation to establish whether the repair methods directly triggered the final collapse.