At least 17 people lost their lives after a section of a four-storey building collapsed in Virar East, Palghar district, Maharashtra, on the night of August 26-27. So far, nine residents have been pulled from the debris, while two others are undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the accident. The rear portion of the Ramabai Apartment collapsed onto the chawl below, leaving residents and authorities scrambling to carry out urgent rescue operations.

Teams from the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Fire Department and two units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) – one from Mumbai and the other from Palghar – have been actively involved in the rescue work for over 36 hours. Local police and emergency services have also joined the efforts to recover any remaining trapped individuals, with officials expecting the operation to conclude in the next few hours.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial aid of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased. The Vasai Virar police have arrested 50-year-old builder Niley Sane, charging him under sections of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for unauthorised construction and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing.