Friday morning turned distressing for residents of Bandra East’s Bharat Nagar in Mumbai, as a chawl collapsed while people were still inside. A three-storeyed building, identified as chawl number 37, crumbled down in a horrifying series of events this morning. The incident was confirmed in the early hours on July 18, 2025, by Mumbai Police and the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
A Chawl Collapsed In Bandra, Mumbai
According to The New Indian Express, the incident took place around 5:56 am on July 18, 2025. The aftermath revealed at least 10 people trapped under the debris. While seven were pulled out in time; they were gravely injured and were immediately rushed to the civic-run Bhabha Hospital. Their conditions are being monitored, though no fatalities have been officially reported yet.
A senior Mumbai Fire Brigade officer at the site stated to The New Indian Express that search and rescue operations are underway at the moment and further details are awaited. Along with him, eight fire engines, teams from the Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s local ward machinery were also present at the site.
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The Aftermath In Mumbai
The exact cause of the collapse is still unclear. However, Bharat Nagar is no stranger to such incidents. Many chawls and buildings in this pocket of Bandra East have stood for decades, showing signs of wear and tear year after year. Monsoon only amplifies those risks. This time, the response has been swift with eight fire engines, Mumbai police teams, BMC’s local ward staff, and rescue squads all on the ground. Civic officials have confirmed that search operations are still underway.
The BMC is expected to release a formal statement once the immediate rescue concludes. Officials are yet to confirm how many people were inside the chawl at the time of collapse. As for those already rescued, there’s quiet optimism that most of them will recover. Mumbai has seen its share of such tragedies, especially in monsoon months. Structural audits and notices are often served to buildings marked as dangerous, but residents continue living there; sometimes out of choice but mostly out of necessity.
For now, Bandra waits for updates, with hopes pinned on the rescue teams still digging through what was, until a few hours ago, somebody’s home.
Cover Image Courtesy: industryodisha/X