At least 15 people lost their lives and several others are feared trapped after the rear section of an unauthorised four-storey building collapsed onto an adjacent vacant chawl in Virar, Maharashtra, early Wednesday. Among the deceased were a woman and her one-year-old daughter, while six others remain critically injured.
Officials confirmed that the building had been declared illegal by the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) before it came crashing down at 12.05 am. The collapse has displaced multiple families, leaving them homeless.
Rescue operations, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and civic teams, have stretched beyond 20 hours, slowed initially due to the congested site. District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar said some people could still be trapped under the rubble, while survivors have been shifted to Chandansar Samajmandir, where they are being provided with food, water, and medical aid.
