Three killed in Thane building crash, 10 injured

Thane (Maharashtra), Nov 24 (IANS) Three persons, including a teenaged girl, were killed and 10 others injured when a three-storied building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town on Friday morning, officials said.

According to the Disaster Management Unit of Thane, the seven-year-old building named 'Tahir Dinjore', where seven families reside, crashed around 9 a.m., trapping several people beneath the debris.

The body of 18-year old Ruksa Ahmed Khan was retrieved from the rubble and ten others were dug out injured.

Among the 10 injured were Khwaja Ahmed Sayyed, 70, Vihang G. Khan, 8, Salma Tahir Azmi and Abdul Asif Khan and they were taken to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.

The toll rose to three after two of the injured succumbed to their injuries at the hospital in the afternoon. However, the deceased have not been identified so far.

Maharashtra PWD Minister Eknath Shinde visited the injured at the hospital and spoke to the medical authorities about their condition.

Few more are believed to be trapped in the debris and rescue works continued in the evening.

Though the building was a recent construction and allegedly unauthorized, it is not known if it was included in the list of dangerous constructions. However, the owner Tahir Shaikh has been detained.

The building was located in congested K.G. Nagar area of Navi Basi area in this powerloom town and rescue teams had to demolish adjoining structures to clear the narrow lanes for passage of fire brigade and other vehicles.

Two teams of Thane and Bhiwandi fire brigade, two teams of National Disaster Response Force, along with more than 60 workers are engaged in rescue operations.