A five-storey residential building collapsed in Mahad town of Raigad district, 170 km from Mumbai, on Monday evening, killing at least one person. While 15 people, including seven who suffered injuries, were rescued till 10 pm, district officials estimate that at least 70 people are trapped under the debris.
The top three floors of the structure, known as Tarique Garden, collapsed around 6.50 pm. Eyewitnesses said the building, which is estimated to be not more than 10 years old, began shaking with some residents managing to rush out before it collapsed.
Local rescue teams, including police and fire brigade, were immediately pressed into service. Three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Pune were set to join rescue operations late at night. An official from NDRF said that visuals of the building denote that it was a “pancake collapse”, a term used for a fall that occurs from the top floors to the lower ones.
