13 July,2026 11:36 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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Two minor boys were injured after a window grill of a second-floor flat in a residential building collapsed in Maharashtra's Thane district, causing them to fall to the ground, officials said on Monday.
The incident took place on Sunday afternoon near a mosque on Dargah Road in Bhiwandi town.
According to officials from the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC), the boys, aged 8 and 10, had come to visit their relatives and were sitting on the window grill of a second-floor apartment in a four-storey residential building when the grill suddenly gave way.
Both children fell to the ground and sustained injuries. They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Officials said their condition was being monitored, though no further details on the extent of their injuries were immediately available.
The civic body said the building was not included in its list of dangerous or dilapidated structures. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the grill collapse.
The incident has raised concerns over the structural safety of residential buildings, particularly the maintenance of external fixtures such as window grills and balconies, which can pose serious risks if not properly maintained.
The latest incident comes just days after a fatal structural collapse in Thane district.
On July 10, a 12-year-old boy died and two other family members were injured after a portion of a house collapsed in Madras Chawl near Missionary Chapel Church in Azad Nagar, Brahmand, Thane West.
According to officials, the incident occurred at around 3.35 pm when part of the gallery of a ground-plus-one-storey house, estimated to be 25 to 30 years old, collapsed onto a neighbouring house.
Three members of a family were inside the affected house and were reportedly asleep when the structure collapsed, trapping them under the debris.
The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. A 35-year-old woman sustained a head injury and is undergoing treatment at Titan Hospital, while a nine-year-old boy also suffered a head injury and is receiving medical care at the same facility.
The 12-year-old boy sustained critical injuries and was taken to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Following the collapse, personnel from the Thane Municipal Corporation's Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC), the Fire Brigade, Kapurbawdi Police, the Disaster Response Team and other civic departments reached the site and carried out rescue operations.
As a precautionary measure, three houses in Madras Chawl were evacuated and the surrounding area was cordoned off to prevent further risk.
Officials said a structural assessment of the affected properties is being carried out. Necessary safety measures and further action are being undertaken by the Majiwada Ward Committee, the Public Works Department and the Encroachment Department. Investigations into the cause of the collapse are continuing.
(With inputs from PTI)
