Bhiwandi: As rescue teams completed operations following the devastating collapse of Kohinoor Apartment in Bhiwandi's Ganga Ramwadi, heartbreaking stories of courage, sacrifice and unimaginable loss emerged from the tragedy that claimed ten lives and left three others injured. From a resident who had shifted out after the building was declared unsafe but returned to inspect repair work, to a man who died while helping a friend relocate, and four migrant workers who never made it home, each victim's story has added another layer of grief to one of the city's worst building disasters in recent years.
Resident Returns To Inspect Repairs, Loses Life
Among those killed was Santosh Pandey, a resident of Kohinoor Apartment. After the building was declared structurally unsafe he had been staying at his hotel for the past two to three days instead of returning home. On Thursday he visited the building to check the ongoing repair work. Moments later, the structure collapsed, trapping him beneath the debris.
His grieving family has demanded strict action against those responsible for the collapse and urged the government to introduce stronger measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Husband Promised To Return In Ten Minutes
Another victim, Ranjit Singh, lived on the third floor of the building. According to family members he had given medicine to his ailing wife before stepping downstairs, assuring her that he would "be back in ten minutes."
He never returned.
Within minutes, the building came crashing down, burying him under the rubble. His wife devastated by the loss, said he was the family's only source of support.
Died While Trying To Save A Friend
In one of the tragedy's most selfless stories Shamim Ansari had gone to Kohinoor Apartment to shift a friend out of the dangerous building after arranging an alternative place for him to stay.
Before the two could leave the structure collapsed. Ansari was trapped under the debris and died on the spot. Family members said he was the sole breadwinner of the household and have appealed to the government for financial assistance.
Injured Residents Jump From First Floor To Escape
Residents Abhay Yadav and Deepak Yadav survived by making a split-second decision.
After hearing a loud cracking sound, they rushed out of their first-floor flat only to find the staircase collapsing. With no other escape route available both jumped from the first floor to save themselves.
They suffered serious fractures in their legs and are undergoing treatment at the Indira Gandhi Sub-District Hospital in Bhiwandi. Doctors said both escaped with their lives despite sustaining severe injuries.
Emotional Rescue Of Mother Dog And Puppy
Amid scenes of destruction, rescue personnel witnessed a rare moment of hope.
NDRF and TDRF teams rescued a female stray dog and her puppy alive from beneath the debris. After the puppy was brought to safety, the mother dog remained close to it until rescue workers completed the operation. She later walked away carrying the puppy, leaving many rescuers and onlookers visibly emotional.
Four Migrant Workers From Uttar Pradesh Die Together
The collapse also claimed the lives of four migrant labourers from the same village in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district Ashok Kumar Paswan, Rakesh Kumar Paswan, Mukesh Paswan and Krish Kumar.
All four were engaged in repair work inside the building when it collapsed.
Their families said they lacked the financial means to transport the bodies back to their native village and appealed to the administration to provide a free ambulance and financial assistance. The deaths of the four workers have left an entire village in mourning, highlighting the human cost borne by migrant labourers who often work in hazardous conditions far from home.
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