At least two persons were killed while five sustained injuries after a four-storey building collapsed in Piranipada area of Bhiwandi on Saturday morning. Local fire department and National Disaster Response Force personnel reached the location for rescue operations as many are feared trapped, ANI reported.

The building, which officials said was constructed illegally, was evacuated by Bhiwandi-Nizampura Municipal Corporation officials on Friday night after residents alerted them about cracks in the structure. “On Friday at 9.30 pm some cracks were developed in the building after which our civic team evacuated around 22 families from building and had sealed it,” The Times of India quoted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashok Rankhambh was quoted as saying. “But we have come to know late night some people forcefully entered to take their belongings when the building collapsed.”

Rankhambh said that the building had no name and was built 10 years ago. He further added that after the rescue operation concludes their team would file a first information report against the builder.

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