Bhiwandi Building Collapse Kills 10; Residents Had Warned of Sinking Structure

At least 10 people were killed and three injured when a portion of the four-storey Kohinoor building in Bhiwandi collapsed late Thursday night. The structure, located in the Maharashtra town, had shown signs of instability for some time, and several residents had planned to evacuate, but the collapse occurred before they could leave.

Among the survivors is Sangita Prajapati, 36, who was at home with her family when the incident occurred. She said the building began shaking after she heard loud shouts warning residents to flee. "Everything started shaking. As I was running out, there was suddenly darkness, and I fainted," Prajapati said. She was rescued by her husband and neighbours and taken to Indira Gandhi Hospital. Her husband and four children escaped safely, though she sustained minor injuries to her hand.

Deepak Yadav, 25, and his maternal uncle Abhay Yadav, 26, were also injured. The family had decided to vacate the building that night after noticing movement in a neighbouring wing. "As we were packing our bags, there was a loud crashing sound. When we looked out, the other wing had completely collapsed," Deepak Yadav said. Unable to use the staircase, which was blocked by debris, the two jumped from a first-floor window to escape. Both sustained leg injuries.

Abhay Yadav, a labourer in Bhiwandi's textile mills, said they had no choice. "The staircase was blocked. We could either stay and wait for the building to collapse on us or jump from the window to seek help. We chose the latter."

Piyush Jaiswal, who lived in a chawl adjacent to the building, recalled hearing a loud crash around 11.20 pm. "There was smoke and dust all around, so it was impossible to see anything. I ran but kept hearing my mother's cries. Fortunately, she spotted me and we escaped," he said. Several families from the chawl were left homeless as fire brigade and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) vehicles passed through their homes to reach the collapse site.

Krishna Nisaad, a labourer living on the fourth floor of the building's other wing, said residents had already planned to leave because the structure was sinking. "Repair work was underway. Our plan was to escape after dinner, but before we could move out, the building collapsed. We managed to escape by the grace of god," he said.

The building's 'B' wing collapsed around 11.20 pm. Rescue operations involving the fire brigade, NDRF and local police continued through the night. The injured have been admitted to Indira Gandhi Hospital. The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, though residents have pointed to ongoing repairs and the building's deteriorating condition.

Authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident. Local administration has assured assistance to the affected families. The collapse has once again raised concerns about the safety of old and poorly maintained buildings in urban areas, where such incidents have been recurring. Officials have urged residents to report structural vulnerabilities and cooperate with safety inspections.