Thane | Three persons were injured and nearly 80 others rescued after a slab from a fifth-floor flat collapsed onto the floor beneath in a residential building in Maharashtra's Thane city early on Tuesday, officials said.

One of the injured persons was critical, they said.

The incident occurred at 3.07 am at the five-storey Nutan Neelam Apartment, located at Shantinagar in Wagle Estate. The building is around 35 years old, according to the officials.

The slab from a fifth-floor flat crashed onto a house on the fourth floor, injuring a resident of the upper flat and two occupants below, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.

All three were rushed to a hospital in Thane, but the critically injured person was shifted to a medical facility in Mumbai for advanced treatment, he said.

After being alerted, emergency teams rushed to the spot.

"Nearly 80 to 85 residents were living in the building. We have rescued all occupants. About half of them have been shifted to a TMC School in Shantinagar for temporary shelter, while others arranged accommodation themselves," Tadvi said.

The building, consisting of A and B wings with 26 tenements, is 30 to 35 years old, he informed.

It was previously classified under the C2B category, meaning it required major repairs but was not deemed immediately life-threatening.

As the remaining structure is in a dangerous condition, it has been sealed, the official added.

Power company staff and police also reached the site to disconnect electricity and secure the area.