NDRF Rescues 11 as Building Collapse in Maharashtra Claims Two Lives

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams successfully rescued 11 individuals as search operations continue to locate more victims following a building collapse in Virar East, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The collapse of a section of the Ramabai Apartment led to two deaths and multiple injuries, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

In the initial hours of the rescue effort, which included both manual and canine searches, four people were found. Unfortunately, one was dead at the scene, and although three survived, a one-year-old child died en route to the hospital. NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh stated that two NDRF teams—one from Mumbai and one from Palghar—were deployed immediately upon receiving the alert at midnight.

To date, 11 people have been extricated from the debris, and local estimates suggest that around five more could still be trapped. The NDRF anticipates rescue efforts will need to extend into the following day due to the inability to use heavy machinery, given the narrow entry to the building.

Included in the rescue operation are emergency services such as the fire brigade and local police, who oversee crowd control with barricades and assess adjoining structure stability. Some residents from nearby buildings have been temporarily evacuated as a safety precaution.

The collapse occurred at around midnight when a section of the building fell onto an adjacent chawl, entrapping multiple residents. Those rescued are receiving treatment in hospitals across Virar and Nalasopara, with some cases remaining critical. Authorities continue to search diligently to ensure no one remains trapped and are probing the cause of the collapse.