Mumbai, Aug 28 (IANS) Fourteen people, including a mother and daughter, lost their lives, and one person was critically injured after a portion of an unauthorised four-storey building collapsed on an adjoining vacant chawl at Virar in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday.

While six bodies were pulled out from under the rubble, others succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment in different hospitals.

Rescue efforts have continued for more than 24 hours since the rear portion of Ramabai Apartment caved in at around 12.05 a.m. on Wednesday.

Officials confirmed that so far, 17 people have been accounted for — 14 dead, one injured, and two rescued. Operations are still underway.

Police have arrested the builder of the building after the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) filed a complaint.

Two teams from the 5th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are carrying out the operation at the site.

Palghar District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar said there is a possibility that more people could still be trapped beneath the debris.

According to District Disaster Management Officer Vivekanand Kadam, the ‘chawl’ on which the structure collapsed was vacant during the time of the incident.

As a precautionary measure, all nearby chawls have been evacuated and residents shifted to safer locations.

Kadam said that Ramabai Apartment, constructed in 2012, had a total of 50 flats, with the collapsed portion consisting of 12 apartments.

A spokesperson for the VVMC confirmed that the building was illegal.

The removal of debris was delayed as heavy machinery could not initially reach the congested area where the building had collapsed.

“As of now, debris clearance is still underway. For the first several hours, the debris had to be cleared manually by civic teams and two units of the NDRF. Now, the operation is being carried out with machinery and progressing on a war footing,” VVMC Assistant Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves said late on Wednesday.

The collapse has left many families without homes. All affected families are currently sheltered at Chandansar Samajmandir, where they receive food, water, medical assistance, and other essential services.

–IANS

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