Death toll in Palghar building collapse rises to 15, police arrests builder

Palghar (Maharashtra) [India], August 28 (ANI): The death toll of the Palghar building collapse incident has risen to 15, and nine people have been injured. Two residents are missing, and rescue operations to find them are underway, officials said on Thursday.
A section of the Ramabai Apartment, a four-storey building in Virar East, Palghar district, collapsed late Tuesday night.
"15 people have died. Nine people are injured and are being treated. Residents here say that 2 people are missing and rescue operations are on to find them," Sanjay Hirwade, Additional Commissioner of Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, told reporters.
The Vasai Virar police on Thursday arrested the builder of the building that collapsed in Palghar on Tuesday night, police said.
The builder has been identified as a 50-year-old Niley Sane, who has been booked under sections 52, 53, 54 of the MRTP (Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act) and section 105 of the BNS.
"Vasai Virar police have arrested the builder who had constructed the building. The said individual has been arrested under various sections, including attempt to murder and negligence. The builder has been identified as Niley Sane, aged 50. Builder has been booked under sections 52, 53, 54 of the MRTP(Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act) and BNS 105," Vasai Virar police said in a statement.
In the initial manual and canine search, four people were pulled out; one was declared dead on site, and three were rescued alive. Tragically, a one-year-old child succumbed while being transported to the hospital.
According to NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh, "Two teams of the NDRF responded to the accident site--one from Mumbai and one from Palghar. As soon as the information was received at 12 am, the nearest team responded immediately."
Emergency services, including the fire brigade and local police, are actively involved alongside NDRF teams. Authorities have set up barricades to maintain crowd control and are assessing the structural integrity of adjacent buildings. Several residents in adjoining buildings have been temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The incident occurred around 12:00 a.m., when the rear portion of the building collapsed onto an adjacent chawl, trapping multiple residents beneath the debris.
The rescued are receiving treatment at hospitals in Virar and Nalasopara, with some in serious condition.
Authorities are continuing their search to ensure no one remains trapped and are investigating the cause of the collapse further. (ANI)