Local News
Maharashtra forces evacuation of unsafe buildings after Bhiwandi tragedy
Maharashtra has ordered forced evacuation of dangerous buildings after the Bhiwandi Kohinoor Apartment collapse killed nearly 10 people.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered forced evacuations from C1-category dangerous buildings across the state after a Bhiwandi building collapse killed nearly 10 people.
The collapse took place around 11:30 pm on Thursday, July 31, 2026, at the Kohinoor Apartment in Gangaramwadi, Balaji Nagar, Bhiwandi, a four-storey structure previously declared dilapidated and rated C1, the highest danger category.
Reports say 25 to 30 families had already been moved out of the building before it collapsed, though some residents remained in the basement at the time.
Fadnavis instructed officials to evacuate all C1-rated buildings and permitted the use of force where required, while noting court-imposed limits on such measures.
Thane Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saurabh Rao issued a parallel directive for immediate re-inspection of deteriorated structures across Thane, ordering formal notices under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act and the start of vacancy and demolition procedures for the most dangerous buildings.
Officials have also been authorised to cut electricity and water connections for residents refusing to leave marked buildings, and to provide temporary municipal shelter for those without alternative housing.
Rescue teams, including local fire brigade and disaster response personnel, worked through the night after the collapse to pull survivors and victims from the rubble of the Kohinoor Apartment.
Bhiwandi, an industrial town on the outskirts of Mumbai known for its powerloom textile industry, has seen several old and structurally weak buildings flagged as unsafe by municipal authorities in recent years.
The state government’s push follows a pattern seen in other Indian cities, where monsoon-season structural failures of ageing buildings have periodically prompted short-lived enforcement drives that often lapse once the rains end.
Under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, civic bodies can issue formal notices to residents of dangerous structures, informing them of safety risks and initiating vacancy and demolition procedures.
Photo by Rangakuvara, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0