At least six people were killed after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi late on Thursday night, with a few people still feared trapped under the debris, officials said.

The structure had 48 rooms, with 12 on each floor and came crashing down at around 11.30 pm, municipal officials said. The civic body had earlier declared the building dangerous and repair work was underway at the time of the collapse.

Residents said they heard loud cracking sounds from the building around 9 pm on Thursday. Alarmed by the noise, locals informed authorities and had evacuated several families from the premises. However, while some occupants were still making their way out, the building's B Wing suddenly caved in.

According to fire officials, six bodies have been recovered from the rubble, most of whom are believed to be workers engaged in repair work at the building.

Six people have been rescued from the debris, they added, while an injured boy was pulled out and rushed to a nearby hospital. Officials believe a few more people remain trapped beneath the collapsed structure and search and rescue operations are underway.

A large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies is in progress. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), the local fire brigade and police are carrying out rescue efforts. A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances and heavy earth-moving machinery have been deployed at the site.

Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation Assistant Municipal Commissioner Arvind Ghogare said officials rushed to the spot after receiving information that the building had developed cracks.

"When we reached, we saw that the building was cracking up. We went inside with our team and evacuated the residents," he said. According to Ghogare, most occupants came out after being asked to evacuate, though "some women initially said they wanted to stay back to eat." He added that the building, which is said to be just over a decade old, was undergoing illegal repair work at the time.

"While the residents were brought out, the workers engaged in the repair work did not come out. About five of them are believed to be inside," he said. "The building came crashing down just a few minutes after we came out," Ghogare told media.

Authorities are continuing efforts to locate and rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.

Source: India Today