Bhiwandi, Sep 3 (IANS): Two persons, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed and five others were injured after a rear portion of a two-storey building collapsed in Thane's Bhiwandi on Sunday.

The Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) coordinated with the fire department, racing against time to rescue those trapped under the debris. A distress call regarding the building collapse prompted their immediate response.

Among the injured survivors were Latif Momin (65), Farzana Abdul Latif (50), Bushara Atif Latif (32), Adima Atif Latif (7), and Urusha Atif Momin (3). Following their rescue, they were promptly admitted to a local hospital, where they are currently reported to be out of immediate danger.

The search and rescue operation, coupled with the arduous task of clearing the debris, to save lives, took several hours.

Initially, Fire Department officer Rajesh Pawar reported that a woman and a young girl were in critical condition following the incident. However, both the victims succumbed to their injuries. The deceased have been identified as Uzma Atif Momin (40) and Taslima Mosar Momin (8 months).