Four-storey building collapses in Navi Mumbai; 2 rescued, 3 feared trapped

A dog squad has been roped in to assist in the rescue operation, the NDRF official said. Civic chief Shinde said the cause of the incident will be investigated by the NMMC

At least one person was killed after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Navi Mumbai's CBD Belapur area early on Saturday and a search operation is underway to find two others feared trapped under the rubble, officials said. Two persons were rescued after the incident that occurred at 4.50 am in Shahbaz village, they said, adding that before the building collapsed, the authorities managed to evacuate 52 residents.

"The four-storey building with 13 residential units and three shops collapsed early this morning. A man and a woman who were trapped under the rubble were rescued and admitted to a hospital," Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Commissioner Kailas Shinde said. Around noon, the body of a man, identified as Mohammad Miraz, was recovered from under the debris, an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. Operation to rescue others is still underway, he said.

 

According to the municipal commissioner, the collapsed building was just 10 years old. Talking to PTI, NMMC's divisional fire officer Purushottam Jadhav said, "Some residents had noticed cracks in the building and alerted the authorities about it. The fire brigade team reached the spot and evacuated 52 residents, including 13 children, from the building. Shortly thereafter, the structure collapsed."

Two individuals were rescued from under the rubble around 6 am. After their, the authorities learnt that one person was feared trapped under the debris and the rescue teams tried to call him on his mobile, but in vain. Later on, they came to know that at the time of the building collapse, two of his friends were also with him, he said. The two persons rescued by the NDRF and the personnel of the civic body's fire brigade were identified as Lal Mohammad (22) and Rukhsana (21).

A dog squad was roped in for assistance in the rescue operation, the NDRF official said. Civic chief Shinde said the cause of the incident will be investigated by the NMMC.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is currently in Delhi for the Niti Aayog meeting, spoke to the Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner and directed him that the rescued persons be provided necessary assistance to the injured and affected persons, an official release by the Thane district administration here said.