Thane: Death toll in Bhiwandi building collapse rises to 20

The death toll on Tuesday in the three-storeyed building collapse in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town has risen to 20. The building located at Patel compound of Narpoli near Dhamankar Naka, collapsed at 3.40 AM, while the residents were asleep, said a civic official.

At least 20 others including a four-year-old boy were rescued in the incident. 

The building at Bhiwandi had 40 flats and around 150 persons lived there, an official said. The building was not in the list of dilapidated structures of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC), he said.

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

The police officer ruled out any possibility of finding more people/bodies in the debris.

Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde said the collapse would be probed. He visited the site and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each victim. The BNMC has suspended two senior officials in connection with the building collapse.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed pain over the collapse and instructed the administration to ensure proper rescue operation and treatment to the injured, his office said.

Death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse incident rises to 20: Thane Municipal Corporation #Maharashtra

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2020