Death toll rises to 17 in Bhiwandi building collapse, 23 rescued

The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse in Maharashtra rose to 17 on Tuesday, with recovery of four more bodies during the night, police said.

The dead include eight children.

The body of a girl, Afsana Ansari, 15, was found in the debris during the night, police said.

The number of those rescued from the debris has gone up to 23 with three more persons, including two women, having been pulled out during the night, police said.

The 43-year-old building named Jhilani, caved in at 3.40 am in the wee hours of Monday. The building had 40 flats, with around 150 people living in it.

Thane Disaster Response Force, Fire Brigade and NDRF were engaged in the rescue operation. Bhiwandi is a power loom town around 10-kms from Thane while 50-kms from Mumbai.

NDRF DG S N Pradhan said they were using a canine squad to search people trapped under the debris.

The building was not in the list of dilapidated structures of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation.

#WATCH Maharashtra: Rescue operation by NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) underway at the site of building collapse in Bhiwandi, Thane.

Eight people have lost their lives in the incident which took place earlier today. pic.twitter.com/dFvXwhHPH3

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2020

Bhiwandi DCP Rajkumar Shinde said offences under sections 337,338,304 (2)of the IPC were being registered against the owner of building Sayyed Ahmed Jilani following a complaint by the civic officials after the collapse.

Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde said a probe would take place. He visited the site and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each victim.

Shinde said 102 buildings are dangerous in Bhiwandi where evacuation has been already done.

(With agencies inputs)