Palghar Building Collapse: Death toll rises to 14, two rescued by NDRF

Palghar (Maharashtra) [India], August 28 (ANI): The death toll has risen to 14 after a portion of a building collapsed in the Virar area of Palghar district, officials confirmed on Thursday. During the rescue operations conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), two people were rescued, and one person sustained injuries.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed two teams from its 5th battalion to the site.
A section of the Ramabai Apartment, a four-storey building in Virar East, Palghar district, collapsed late Tuesday night, claiming two lives and injuring several others, officials said on Wednesday.
"14 people died when the rear portion of a four-storey Ramabai Apartments building located between Chamunda Nagar and Vijay Nagar on Narangi Road in Vasai collapsed yesterday. Rescue operations are underway," NDRF said in a statement.
Further details are awaited.
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)