Village mourns death of 6 residents in Bhiwandi building crash

A village in Maharashtra plunged into gloom after it emerged that six of its residents were among those killed in a building collapse in Bhiwandi town of Thane.

Aarif Yusuf Shaikh (32) and his five family members, who died in the building collapse in Bhiwandi town on Mumbai's outskirts on Monday, originally hailed from Hali village of Latur district in central Maharashtra.

Local resident Babulal Shaikh, a relative of the victims, told PTI that Aarif Shaikh along with his wife and three minor children moved to Bhiwandi, a powerloom and warehouse hub, eight years back in search of work.

Last month, Arif Shaikh also called his brother from the village to work there, he said.

All six of them died after the three-storey Jhilani building collapsed on Monday, he said.

"As the news of their death came in, several villagers expressed grief and gathered to mourn the demise," he said.

Some family members of the victims also rushed from Latur to Bhiwandi after getting information about the incident, he added.

Thirty nine people, including 18 children, were killed and 25 others were rescued after the building collapsed in Bhiwandi, officials earlier said.

Image credits: Agencies