Bhiwandi, Jul 31: At least eight people lost their lives after a four-storey residential building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi, officials said. Several others are feared trapped beneath the debris as rescue operations continue.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with local police, fire services, and district administration officials, rushed to the spot and launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation immediately after the incident.

Visuals from the site showed NDRF personnel using heavy equipment and manual tools to clear the rubble in a race against time to rescue those believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of people trapped, and rescue efforts are continuing. Officials said the casualty toll could rise as the operation progresses.

The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained. An investigation has been initiated to determine the circumstances that led to the building's collapse.