A 19-year-old, Manthan Shinde, who was trapped under the debris of Ramabai Apartment building in Virar East — which collapsed late on Tuesday night, claiming at least 17 lives — not only rescued but also guided the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel as they saved his parents, Prabhakar and Pramila Shinde, who were stuck under rubble. The family had fallen from the third floor when the structure gave way. Manthan sustained multiple injuries to his legs and hands and is undergoing treatment at Prakriti Hospital in Virar West. However, he is out of danger. His parents are also recuperating in other hospitals.

The remains of the four-storey Ramabai Apartment building in Virar. PIC/MAHESH GOHIL

NDRF Assistant Commandant Chandraketu Sharma said, “The incident took place around 11.45 pm. When we reached the spot, many people had already been rescued by locals. We removed nine people from under the debris — seven had lost their lives, and two were alive. A resident helped us a lot during the operation. We kept shouting, ‘Koni aahe aatmadhe?’ [Is anyone inside?]. We also instructed the crowd to remain silent so that we could hear voices from under the rubble. With the help of the local police, we ensured there was no unnecessary noise.”