BHIWANDI: A man died and four to five people are feared trapped after a ground-plus-four residential building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi early on Friday, officials said.The building, which had earlier been declared dangerous by the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), collapsed while repair work was underway. Authorities said the labourers carrying out the repairs were inside the structure when it came crashing down.The deceased was identified as Shamim. His body was recovered from the debris at around 6.45am.Rescue teams from the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are carrying out search operations using heavy machinery. Officials said four to five people are believed to be trapped, although the exact number is yet to be confirmed.BJP MLA Mahesh Choughule, who visited the site, said the building had been declared structurally unsafe and the civic body had issued four to five notices asking residents to vacate. Most families had moved out, but a few were still living in the building.Officials said some occupants managed to escape after the structure started collapsing.Rescue operations are continuing and more details are awaited.
