In Navi Mumbai's CBD Belapur area, a four-storey residential building collapsed early on Saturday morning, resulting in the death of two persons.
Rescue operations were conducted to locate and rescue two others who were trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.
The collapse occurred at 4.50 am in Shahbaz village. The building, which housed 13 residential units and three shops, suddenly gave way.
Before the collapse, authorities managed to evacuate 52 residents, including 13 children, from the building.
Two individuals, a man and a woman, were rescued from under the debris of the Belapur building around 6 am. They have been identified as Lal Mohammad (22) and Rukhsana (21). Both were admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Around noon, the body of a man identified as Mohammad Miraj was recovered from the rubble. While other deceased's body was recovered around an hour later.
The collapsed building was only 10 years old, raising concerns about its structural integrity and construction quality. The cause of the collapse is under investigation by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), said the civic body chief.
One of the residents had noticed cracks in the building prior to the collapse who alerted her neighbour who then alerted other residents.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the civic body's fire brigade were actively involved in the rescue efforts. A dog squad has also been deployed to assist in locating trapped individuals.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, currently in Delhi for a meeting, has directed the Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner to provide all necessary assistance to the injured and affected persons.
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