Maharashtra: 1 dead, 6 injured as building collapses in Thane

One person was killed and sixothers, including minors, were injured after a buildingcollapsed in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district onMonday morning, a civic official said.

The single-storey building, where a godown of anonline goods delivery firm is located, collapsed around 10.30am in Harihar Compound at Mankoli junction in Bhiwandi, Thanecivic body's regional disaster management control cell chiefSantosh Kadam said.

Personnel of the Thane district rescue force, disastermanagement cell and fire services officials from Bhiwandi andThane rushed to the spot, and a team of the National DisasterResponse Force (NDRF) arrived at noon and led the rescue andrelief operation, he said.

The body of a security guard, identified as 35-year-old Saurabh Tripathi, was recovered from the debris, while sixpersons, including three minors, were rescued from the rubbleand hospitalised, Kadam said.

The 15-year-old building belongs to a private firmwhich uses it as a godown for online delivery of goods, hesaid.

At the site of the collapse, 24-year-old Akhil Badana,an employee of the firm owning the godown, was at the centreof discussion after it was revealed he missed the crash byseconds as he went to answer a phone call from a neighbour.

''I had just parked my vehicle when I got a call frommy neighbour. As I took the call, I saw the godown comingdown. I am lucky,'' Badana, who works as a scanner operator,told reporters at the site.

The search and rescue operation was called off lateevening and a police team was at the site carrying out furtherprobe, officials said.