Building collapses in Thane, casualties feared

The death toll in the building collapse in Thane, Maharashtra, has now gone up to 4.

Ten people are said to be injured till now and heavy rainfall is said to be the cause of delayed progress in work in clearing the debris.

Matruchaya building caved in shortly before midnight, trapping about 20 people under the debris. It was raining heavily when the building, which was built in 1972, caved in at around 10.30 pm.

A massive relief and rescue operation has begun and so far five persons got killed and three have been injured.

Building collapses are common in India, mainly because of poor construction practices and lack of safety standards. “Yesterday, parts of the building collapsed and today, it collapsed completely”, Kalyani Patil, Mayor of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation said on Tuesday. Santosh Kadam of Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) said while most trapped under the debris have been rescued some occupants could be still trapped beneath.

The injured are being treated at the local hospital here.

Heavy rains, a narrow approach road and a power breakdown hampered relief and rescue efforts.