Ten people were killed and three others sustained grievous injuries after a four-storey building, classified as structurally unsafe by the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), collapsed during repair work late Thursday night.
According to civic officials, the building, which had 28 residential units, had been issued repeated notices since 2020 to undergo a structural audit and was ordered to be vacated earlier this month. An FIR has been registered against the contractor, with officials alleging that repair work on multiple pillars at the same time triggered the collapse.
The incident was reported around 11.20 pm when the B wing of the ground-plus-four-storey Kohinoor building in Gangaramwadi came crashing down. Constructed in 2012, the building had been classified as C1, the highest risk category for structures deemed unsafe and unfit for occupation.
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The deceased were identified as Shameem Shaikh (32), Ranjit Singh (45), Radhe Shyam (45), Shiraj Rasool Shaikh (34), Santosh Kumar Pandey (42), Shameem Ansari (30), Rakesh Paswan (25), Mukesh Paswan (30 35), Ashok Paswan (40 45) and Shyamji Pal (48). The injured have been identified as Deepak Yadav (25), Abhay Yadav (26) and Sangita Prajapati (36).
Residents said portions of the building had started sinking on Thursday evening, prompting several families to leave hours before the collapse. According to civic officials, around 25 residents were evacuated after repeated warnings about the building’s condition, but labourers engaged in the repair work and a few occupants were inside.
BNCMC records show that the first notice directing residents to conduct a structural audit was issued on September 7, 2020. A reminder followed on April 22, 2022, after no audit was carried out.
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Officials said the occupants did not conduct a structural audit over the next four years. On July 5 this year, the civic body issued fresh notices directing residents to immediately vacate the building owing to its deteriorating condition. Water and electricity connections were subsequently disconnected.
Despite this, some residents began repair work on the structure. A ward officer who visited the building on Thursday found it to be in an extremely poor condition.
“After our official noted that there was very heavy and high risk, he proactively urged all residents to move out hours before the tragedy. Unfortunately, some labours and residents stayed back,” said a senior BNCMC official.
Bhoiwada police in Thane district on Friday registered a case of culpable homicide against the building owner and the contractor who had been carrying out repair work simultaneously on several load bearing pillars.The state government also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those killed in the collapse.
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The FIR was registered on the complaint of an official of the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC). The accused have been identified as Bilal Abubakar, owner of the Kohinoor building, and Ashok, the contractor engaged to carry out repair work on the structure.
A senior IPS officer confirmed that the case has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 125(a) and (b) (negligent acts endangering human life or personal safety), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A senior BNCMC official also confirmed to The Indian Express that a civic official approached the Bhoiwada police station around 5 pm, following which police invoked charges of culpable homicide, holding the owner and the contractor responsible for alleged negligence. The Kohinoor building comprised two wings.
“The investigation is underway and both the accused will be arrested soon,” the senior officer said.
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“The case has been registered against Bilal Ahmed Abubakar Khan, the owner who constructed the substandard building without any permission, and the contractor Ashok, who was carrying out repair work on the building’s pillars,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Pawan Bansod.
He said both have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the BNS, along with Sections 52 and 53 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, based on the complaint filed by Faisal Abdul Qayyum Tatli, Assistant Commissioner (Unauthorised Construction), Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation.
“When a structure is declared C1, residents try to buy some time and carry out repair works in order to avoid evacuation. The building owner had appointed the contractor to carry out repairs on the beams of the building. However, instead of fixing the pillar one by one, the contractor carelesslyworked on all the pillars at one go, leading to the collapse,” a senior official told The Indian Express.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) and the fire brigade began rescue operations shortly after the collapse.
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According to NDRF officials, the first body was recovered nearly six hours later, at around 6.40 am on Friday.
“The building was completely dilapidated and it was a pancake collapse. In such cases, chances of survival tend to be very slim. While we were told that trapped persons were on the ground floor, we had to be very careful. Removing debris layer by layer from the the fourth floor to the ground floor was a challenging task,” a senior official told The Indian Express.
The operation continued for nearly 18 hours before it was called off at 5.10 pm on Friday after the last victim, Shyamji Pal, was recovered.
Doctors at Indira Gandhi Hospital, where the victims were taken, said all 10 deceased had suffered multiple traumatic injuries and severe damage to internal organs.
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BNCMC officials said an FIR has been lodged against the contractor at Bhoiwada police station.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said authorities must ensure dangerous buildings are evacuated even if force is required.
“It is very unfortunate. The local municipal commissioner informed me that around 25 people were already evacuated. Despite this, the contractor continued with the repair work,” he said.
Fadnavis announced financial assistance for the families of those killed and said he had directed the municipal commissioner to initiate legal action against the contractor.
(inputs by G S Poorvi)
