Bhiwandi Tragedy Sparks Crackdown on Dangerous Buildings After 10 Death

A day after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi, killing 10 people, civic authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on unsafe structures, while police registered an FIR against the building owner and a contractor allegedly carrying out unauthorised work.

The FIR, filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), marks the beginning of a criminal investigation into Friday's collapse of the Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar. No arrests had been made till Saturday.

At the disaster site, forensic experts collected structural samples as rescue teams used heavy machinery to remove debris and demolish the unstable portion of the damaged building.

Chairing a high-level disaster management review, Mayor Narayan Ratan Chaudhary directed officials to disconnect electricity and water supply to all buildings categorised as C1 (fit for immediate demolition) and C2A (requiring evacuation and major repairs) to ensure residents vacate without delay.

Municipal officials said 238 buildings fall under the C1 category, while 836 structures are listed as C2A across the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) area.

The mayor also ordered surprise inspections, including night visits, to prevent illegal repair work in hazardous buildings. Temporary accommodation for displaced residents will be arranged in municipal properties, while additional dumpers, JCB machines, ambulances and emergency vehicles will be deployed to strengthen disaster response.

Meanwhile, Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, acting on directions from the Chief Minister's Office, instructed ward officials to issue notices to all C1 buildings in Thane and provide carpet area measurement certificates to protect the rights of evacuated tenants and homeowners.

Officials also acknowledged a serious administrative lapse. Although the ill-fated building had been declared dangerous and issued notices earlier this year, authorities allegedly failed to upgrade its risk classification for compulsory evacuation and demolition.

Grieving families continued to gather near the rubble, mourning loved ones while demanding accountability for a tragedy many believe could have been prevented.