Thane | At least six persons were killed after a four-storey building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi, officials said on Friday, adding that six to seven persons are still trapped under the rubble.

A portion of the Kohinoor Building in Balaji Nagar area of the powerloom town in Thane district came crashing down around 11.30 pm on Thursday, the officials said.

“At least six persons were killed. All but one are still to be identified. The bodies have been sent to a government hospital for postmortem,” said Resident Deputy Collector Sandeep Mane.

Six to seven persons are still trapped under the rubble and a search and rescue operation is underway, the official said.

An injured minor was rescued and rushed to a nearby medical facility, he said.

The structure comprised 48 rooms, 12 on each floor, municipal officials said. The building had been declared dangerous by the civic body. Tragedy struck while repair work was underway on the premises.

Around 9 pm on Thursday, residents heard “loud cracking sounds” emanating from the structure, an official said.

Fearing the worst, locals immediately helped evacuate many families to other locations. However, while some occupants were still making their way out, the ‘B’ wing of the building caved in, he said.

A major multi-agency rescue operation is underway, comprising teams from the National Disaster Response Force, Thane Disaster Response Force and local fire brigade. A dog squad, four fire engines, two ambulances, and heavy earth-moving machinery have been deployed at the site.