Palghar: What began as a joyous first birthday celebration for little Uttkarsha Jovil on Tuesday night tragically ended in unspeakable grief, as she and her entire family became victims of a devastating building collapse in Virar. Uttkarsha, her mother Arohi Omkar Jovil (24), and father Omkar Jovil (25) are among the 17 people confirmed dead after a portion of the Ramabai Apartment in Narangi area of Virar (East) crumbled to rubble.
Omkar Jovil and Rohini Chavan were among the last two bodies recovered on Thursday, bringing the tragic toll to 17. Hours before the collapse, Omkar and his family had been celebrating Uttkarsha's first birthday, a memory now forever marred by tragedy.
“All 17 missing persons have now been found, and the bodies have been recovered. Debris clearance is currently underway,” said District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar.
The building, constructed in 2011, which housed around 50 flats, suffered a partial collapse on Tuesday night, trapping numerous residents. Rescue operations, spearheaded by teams from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been underway for over 48 hours, meticulously sifting through the debris.
A Community's Grief
The growing list of the deceased paints a heartbreaking picture of lives abruptly cut short: Omkar Jovil (25), Arohi Omkar Jovil (24), and their daughter Uttkarsha Jovil (1) – a family wiped out. Laxman Kisku Singh (26), Dinesh Prakash Sakpal (43), Sachin Newadkar (40), his wife Supriya Nivadkar (38), and their son Arnav Nivadkar (11) – another family lost. Parvati Sakpal (60), Dipesh Soni (41), Harish Singh Bist (34), Sonali Rupesh Tejam (41), Deepak Singh Bohra (25), Kashish Pawan Saheni (35), Subhangi Pawan Saheni (40), Govind Singh Rawat (28), Rohini Chavan (nearly 52).
Injured Battle for Life
While the death toll rises, nine people were safely rescued, and several others sustained injuries, now fighting for recovery in various hospitals across Vasai-Virar. The injured have been identified as: Prabhakar Shinde (57), his wife Pramila Prabhakar Shinde (50), Prerna Shinde (20), Pradeep Kadam (40), Jaishree Kadam (33), Mitali Parmar (28), Sanjoy Singh (24), Manthan Shinde (19), and Vishakha Jovil (24). Six of these remain critically injured.
CM Expresses Grief, Announces Aid; Builder Arrested
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed profound grief, stating, "Seventeen people have died so far in the Virar area, where a building collapsed. CM Fadnavis has announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of those deceased."
The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) has confirmed that the building, constructed in 2011, was unauthorised. The structure housed nearly 50 flats, with 12 located in the portion that collapsed. Rescue operations have been on a "war footing," despite initial challenges posed by congested surroundings.
In a move towards accountability, Virar police on Wednesday arrested Nittal Sane, the builder of Ramabai Apartment. He has been booked under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with several sections of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act.
Preventable Tragedy Sparks Outrage
This tragedy has once again brought into sharp focus the peril of unauthorized constructions, particularly in areas susceptible to heavy rainfall. The loss of entire families, like the Jovils and Newadkars, has ignited outrage among citizens, who demand stringent action against those responsible for compromising human lives for illegal gains. The community now looks to the authorities for justice and for measures that will prevent such devastating, preventable tragedies from ever happening again.
