Home / Disasters and Accidents / Illegal Building Collapse Kills Dozens in Vasai-Virar, Officials Vow Crackdown
Illegal Building Collapse Kills Dozens in Vasai-Virar, Officials Vow Crackdown
29 Aug
Summary
- Building collapsed onto adjacent vacant tenement in Vijay Nagar
- 141 unauthorized buildings identified across Vasai-Virar region
- Legislator alleges nexus between officials and land/chawl mafia
On August 29, 2025, a building collapsed in Vijay Nagar, Vasai-Virar, killing several people. The incident occurred at around 12:05 AM when the structure fell onto an adjacent vacant tenement.
Maharashtra Minister Rajesh Naik has described the situation as "deeply unfortunate," stating that the circumstances force people to occupy such illegal buildings. He acknowledged years of negligence that allowed these unauthorized structures to come up unchecked.
Naik revealed that a total of 141 unauthorized buildings have been identified across the Vasai-Virar region. He asserted that all these structures will be demolished after the upcoming Ganesh festival, which runs from August 27 to September 6.
Legislator Sneha Pandit-Dubey has called for strict action against officials allegedly protecting those involved in unauthorized constructions. She alleged a strong nexus between certain officers and the land/chawl mafia, warning that this network must be dismantled to prevent such deadly incidents in the future.
Naik stated that he will raise the issue of rehabilitating residents of these illegal buildings with the Chief Minister and Deputy CM after the next cabinet meeting. A high-level review meeting was also held to assess the situation and devise a plan to prevent such tragedies going forward.
