At least 17 people lost their lives after a portion of a four-storey residential building collapsed on a chawl in Virar East, Palghar district, early on Wednesday. The tragic incident took place around 12:05 am on August 27 when the rear section of Ramabai Apartment gave way, trapping several residents under the debris.
So far, nine people have been rescued, with two critically injured and undergoing treatment. Rescue operations, led by the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Fire Department and two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Mumbai and Palghar, have been ongoing for over 36 hours and are expected to conclude soon, said NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh.
Government Response
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased.
“We share the sorrow of all these families,” the CMO posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Builder Arrested
In a major development, Vasai Virar police arrested Niley Sane (50), the builder of the collapsed structure. He has been booked under multiple sections of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (Sections 52, 53, and 54 for unauthorised development and use of land) as well as Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Background
Incidents of unsafe and unauthorised constructions have long been a concern in fast-growing urban clusters like Vasai-Virar. The latest collapse highlights the urgent need for stricter monitoring of building quality and urban planning enforcement.
Emergency services, including the fire brigade and local police, continue to assist NDRF teams at the accident site.
