Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 28: At least 13 people lost their lives when a portion of Ramabai apartment in Virar East, on the outskirts of Mumbai, collapsed late on Tuesday night, trapping several residents.
Officials said the incident occurred on the fourth floor while a family was celebrating a birthday. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force NDRF, police, fire brigade, and ambulance services rushed to the spot, with operations continuing into Wednesday to search for survivors and recover bodies.
Virar, located in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, has witnessed several building collapses in recent years, raising fresh concerns about housing safety and construction standards.
The Jovil family was celebrating the first birthday of their daughter, Utkarsha, when tragedy struck. The infant died during treatment, while her mother, Aarohi (23), was killed instantly. The father, Omkar (25), remains missing and is feared trapped under the debris, along with some visiting relatives.
Two NDRF teams — one from Mumbai and another from Palghar — joined the rescue mission. “When we arrived around midnight, we removed four people from the debris, out of which one small girl died. So far, we have pulled out 11 people and continue to search for more,” said Pramod Singh, deputy commander, NDRF.
Palghar collector Indurani Jakhar confirmed that 11 people had been rescued by morning, though two later succumbed. Heavy machinery was brought in only after adjoining structures were evacuated, while nearby chawls and buildings were cleared as a precaution. Locals fear that at least 10 more people could still be trapped.
Residents allege that Ramabai apartment, constructed illegally in 2012–13, had long been declared unsafe. Notices from the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) were reportedly ignored by the builder.
Virar police have since arrested Nittal Gopinath Sane (47), owner of Sai Dutta Builders and
Developers, under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966 and Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). He will be produced before the Vasai court on Thursday.
The tragedy has renewed debate over dozens of unsafe and illegally constructed buildings in Vasai-Virar. Civic negligence, weak enforcement, and unchecked urban growth have left thousands of families at risk.
Meanwhile, VVCMC announced that flat owners of the collapsed building will be granted recognition as having “other rights” (Itar Hakk) in property records, giving them legal standing in land documents and property-related matters.