Mumbai: The number of people who died in the building collapse in Virar, located in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, has increased to 17 after more bodies were found overnight, officials said on Thursday. Chief Minister Fadnavis announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.
The building, called Ramabai Apartment, was an illegal four-storey structure with around 50 flats. It collapsed on a nearby empty tenement at Vijay Nagar in Virar around 12:05 AM on Wednesday. According to people who saw the incident, a one-year-old girl’s birthday was being celebrated on the fourth floor when 12 flats in one section of the building suddenly collapsed.
Many people, including guests at the party, got trapped under the debris. On Thursday morning, Palghar District Collector Dr Indu Rani Jakhar confirmed that 15 people had died in the incident. The girl whose birthday was being celebrated was one of those who died. Six other people were injured and taken to different hospitals for treatment, a Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) official said.
Rescue work continues
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police, and fire department kept working through the wreckage, checking for any people who might still be trapped. The Palghar District Collector told PTI that they would continue removing the rubble to make sure no one was left underneath.
“The work is nearly finished, but we want to double-check everything before ending the rescue,” she said. Authorities had already identified seven of the people who died.
The other eight who lost their lives were Govind Singh Ravat (28), Shubhangi Pawan Saheni (40), Kashish Pawan Saheni (35), Deepak Singh Behra (25), Sonali Rupesh Tejam (41), Harish Singh Bisht (34), Sachin Nevalkar (40), and Deepesh Soni (41).
Celebrations turns tragic
People who were there said the scene was terrifying. What started as a happy celebration turned into panic within seconds. “Everyone was dancing and enjoying the birthday party, and then suddenly the building just fell like a stack of cards,” said one survivor. There was confusion and fear everywhere, with people screaming and blaming the builder for what happened.
Residents said there were no cracks or signs of damage before the collapse, which makes it more frightening. Now, there are serious worries about how safe other buildings in the area are, especially those that were built without permission.
Locals accuse builder, authorities of negligence
People living in the area said the builder and the officials were careless. They are now asking for a full investigation into how this illegal building was allowed to stand and house so many people without safety checks.
Police arrested the builder on Wednesday after the VVMC filed a case. Thankfully, the tenement the building collapsed on was empty, according to District Disaster Management Officer Vivekanand Kadam. As a safety step, all nearby tenements have been emptied and residents moved to safer places, he added.
Kadam also said the Ramabai Apartment was built in 2012 and had 50 flats, including the 12 that collapsed. A VVMC spokesperson confirmed that the building was “unauthorised.” Removing the debris took more time because the location was very crowded, making it hard to bring in large equipment.
The collapse has left many families without homes. “All the affected families are now staying temporarily at Chandansar Samajmandir. We are giving them food, water, medical help, and other important services,” said VVMC assistant commissioner Gilson Gonsalves.