By Nityanjali Bulsu
A part of a four-story structure collapsed in Maharashtra’s Palghar area, taking the life of at least 17 people. Two of the people have suffered grave injuries, and nine have been saved from being crushed under the debris of the collapsed structure.
This incident took place on August 27. The rear section of the Ramabai building complex in Vasai Virir East collapsed, leading to severe casualties. The building consisted of 50 houses and was alleged to be unauthorised.
According to NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh, two teams from Mumbai and Palghar rushed to the accident spot without delay. They were joined by the Vasai Vihar Municipal Corporation Fire Department, local police, and emergency services, all working together to rescue the injured and provide them with immediate care.
The local police of the Vasai Virar region arrested the builder of the collapsed building Thursday morning. The builder, a 50 year-old builder named Niley Sane, was arrested and charged with a myriad of sections, including sections 52, 53, and 54. In addition, he has also been charged with section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared an update on X (formerly Twitter), confirming the latest casualty figures and announcing ₹5 lakh in financial assistance for the families of those who lost their lives.
President Draupadi Murmu also shared her condolences for the people involved and affected in the incident in her post on X. She said that the loss of life due to the incident was tragic and wished a speedy recovery to the injured people.
She further said, “The collapse of a building in Virar, Maharashtra, resulting in the death of several people is extremely tragic. I express my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this accident and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” in her X post.
The cleaning of debris and rescue operation is still underway, and the authorities are continuing to ensure no one else is stuck under the rubble, a collector said.