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The death toll in the building collapse in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district rose to six on Friday as rescue teams continued intensive operations to search for people feared trapped under the debris of a partially collapsed four-storey residential building.
According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), six bodies have been retrieved from the rubble so far, while search and rescue operations remain underway. "Six bodies of victims have been retrieved till now. Operations are still continuing," the NDRF said. According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Disaster Management Cell, the incident occurred between 11 pm and 11:30 pm on Thursday when a portion of the 'B Wing' of the four-storey Kohinoor Building in Bhiwandi collapsed. As per the TMC, the building had already been declared dangerous by the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Despite being categorised as unsafe, repair work was underway at the time of the incident. The building comprised 48 rooms, with 12 rooms on each floor. Between 8 pm and 9 pm, residents reportedly heard cracking sounds coming from the structure. Alerted by the unusual noises, local residents helped evacuate several families to safety before the collapse. However, a few occupants who were still inside attempting to leave the building became trapped when the 'B Wing' gave way. Authorities had earlier feared that seven to eight people, including Shamji Pal (46), Santosh Pandey alias Munna (42), Miraj Sheikh (35), and several workers whose identities are yet to be confirmed, were trapped beneath the debris. A multi-agency rescue operation is underway with personnel from the NDRF, Bhiwandi Fire Brigade, Bhoiwada Police Station, the local administration and a dog squad deployed at the site. Two ambulances and a JCB machine have also been pressed into service to aid rescue efforts. Further details are awaited. (ANI)
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