Maharashtra Building Collapse: A major tragedy struck Vasai, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The rear portion of a four-storey building, Ramabai Apartment, located between Chamunda Nagar and Vijay Nagar on Narangi Road, collapsed late last night. The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation's fire department and two teams of the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are engaged in rescue operations. Three deaths have been reported, and nine injured individuals have been admitted to hospitals in Virar and Nalasopara.
Reports indicate that a section of Ramabai Apartment, situated in Swami Samarth Nagar, suddenly crumbled around 11:30 pm. Three fatalities have been confirmed, and there are fears that 15 to 20 people remain trapped under the debris.
Local police, NDRF, and municipal corporation teams are involved in the rescue operation. A dog squad is assisting in the search for those buried under the rubble. The rescue operation is hampered by densely populated areas surrounding the building, preventing JCBs and other heavy machinery from reaching the site. Rescue workers are attempting to remove debris manually.
The building is reportedly about ten years old, and the municipal corporation had previously issued an audit notice. The entire building has been evacuated following the incident.
This tragedy has also claimed the joy of a family. Relatives and friends had gathered at the Ramabai Apartment to celebrate the first birthday of the young daughter of the Joel family. However, the accident occurred during the celebration. The infant daughter and her mother died, while the father, Omkar Joel, remains missing.
Sachin Nivalkar (44), his wife Suprila (40), and their 14-year-old son Arnav, residing on the fourth floor of the same building, are also reported missing.
Local MLA Sneha Dubey Pandit stated that many people are likely still trapped under the debris and that the rescue operation is ongoing at a war footing. The incident has created an atmosphere of fear and mourning in the entire area.
