17 dead in Virar building collapse; search operation over

Palghar, Aug 28 (PTI) The death toll in the collapse of an allegedly unauthorised building at Virar in Maharashtra’s Palghar district rose to 17 on Thursday afternoon with the discovery of two more bodies as the search operation came to an end. Seven people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, officials said.

While the Maharashtra government announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, police have arrested the builder of the four-storey structure, Ramabai Apartment, after the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) lodged a complaint.

The bodies of Omkar Jovil (27), whose one-year-old daughter's birthday was being celebrated when the building came crashing down on Wednesday, and Rohini Chavan (37) were the last to be retrieved by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue agencies.

Jovil's wife Arohi (24) and daughter Utkarsha (1) too died in the collapse.

The search operations ended around 3 pm, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves told PTI.

The building, housing nearly 50 flats, collapsed on an adjacent vacant tenement at Vijay Nagar in Virar area of Palghar, adjoining Mumbai, at 12.05 am on Wednesday.

The birthday party of one-year-old Utkarsha Jovil was underway on the fourth floor when 12 flats in a wing of the building collapsed, trapping residents and guests under the debris.

Besides the victims in the Jovil family, other deceased were identified as Govind Singh Ravat (28), Shubhangi Pawan Saheni (40), Kashish Pawan Saheni (35), Deepak Singh Behra (25), Sonali Rupesh Tejam (41), Harish Singh Bisht (34), Sachin Nevalkar (40), Deepesh Soni (41), Laxman Kisku Singh (26), Dinesh Prakash Sapkal (43), Supriya Nivalkar (38), Arnav Nivalkar (11) and Parvati Sapkal.

Eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene, where a moment of happiness turned to chaos in an instant.

"People were dancing and celebrating (during the birthday party) when suddenly the entire structure collapsed like a pack of cards," said a survivor.

The aftermath was marked by chaos and panic, with people screaming and accusing the builder of negligence.

Residents claimed that unlike previous incidents of building collapses where cracks or structural weaknesses were visible beforehand, there were no such warning signs here.

The sudden collapse has raised serious concerns over building safety and unauthorised constructions in the area.

Locals have alleged "lethargy and negligence" on part of the builder and authorities, with many demanding a thorough investigation into how the unauthorised structure was allowed to house so many residents without proper safety measures.

Senior inspector Lahu Ture of Virar police station said builder Nital Sane (47) was arrested under section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act,1966.

Luckily, the chawl or tenement on which the building collapsed was vacant, District Disaster Management Officer Vivekanand Kadam said.

As a precautionary measure, all the chawls around the ill-fated building have been vacated and occupants shifted to safer places, he said.

Constructed in 2012, Ramabai Apartment has 50 flats, and the collapsed part had 12 apartments, said Kadam.

A spokesperson of the municipal corporation claimed that the building was “illegal".

The debris removal was delayed because officials initially struggled to bring heavy machinery to the crashed building located in a congested locality.

“All affected families have been temporarily housed at Chandansar Samajmandir. We are providing food, water, medical assistance, and other essential services," assistant commissioner Gonsalves said.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief over the tragedy.

"The collapse of a building in Virar, Maharashtra, resulting in the death of several people is extremely tragic. I express my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this accident and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," the President said in a post on X in Hindi.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed profound grief and paid heartfelt tribute to the deceased, a statement from his office said.

"We share the sorrow of all these families, and at the same time, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to the heirs of the deceased," it said.

State Disaster Management and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan visited the site during the day.

Municipal Commissioner Manojkumar Suryavanshi conceded that unauthorised constructions was a problem within the municipal limits, and said the civic body will crack down on such constructions. PTI COR GK NR KRK