Two dead, five critically injured in Bhiwandi building collapse

The building was in a dilapidated state and was being vacated when the incident took place, says Municipal commissioner Ashok Rankhamb

Around two persons killed while five others were injured after a four-storey building collapsed in Piranipada area of Bhiwandi on Saturday morning. The building was already declared illegal and was evacuated by Bhiwandi corporation on Friday night around 8 pm when some residents found a crack on the pillar.

After 2 am some residents forcefully entered this building despite barricades and sealed by officials and in the morning that building collapsed where two got killed and five injured.

The deceased have been identified as Siraj Ahmed Ansari (27) and Aakhib Ansari (22). The injured -- Abdul Aziz Syed Mullani (55), Javed Salim Sheikh (34), Narendra Bawane (35), Devidas Wagh (34) and Sufiyan Abdul Hasan (23) -- have been shifted to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi for treatment.

#UPDATE: 2 dead and 5 injured in the Bhiwandi building collapse. Rescue operations underway. https://t.co/Q3CmwdM95K

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2019

"Four people have been rescued so far," Ashok Rankhamb, Commissioner of Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation said. He also said that the building was in a dilapidated state and was being vacated when the incident took place.

"People had informed us that the building may collapse. I along with officers reached the spot and asked people to vacate the building. Most had vacated the building but then some people went inside to pick their luggage. Meanwhile, the building came down. It is an 8-year-old building and was built illegally. An investigation will be done," Rankhamb said.

Disaster Management Officer Santosh Kadam said that fire brigade and personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were engaged in rescuing people trapped in the debris.

A resident of Bhiwandi identified as Irfan Shaikh, a friend of the deceased said, "Siraj went back to the building to take his brother's bike which he had received in dowry on his wedding. His brother stays in Dubai. During the evacuating procedure, he took so many things that he could not take his bike, therefore, he decided to go back later to get it. But he could not bring back his brother's bike. If the Bhiwandi corporation had a proper disaster team, we could have saved my friend."

- With inputs from PTI

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