Dust storm in Thane damages building; residents evacuated

Dust storm damages high-rise building in Thane, Maharashtra, prompting evacuation of residents; no injuries reported.

An unauthorised high-rise building was damaged, and some residents were evacuated after a dust storm swept through Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Saturday (April 5, 2025).

There were reports of no injuries in the incident that occurred in the Mumbra area on Friday (April 4) afternoon, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

He said strong winds caused cracks in the walls of two terrace-level rooms in an unauthorised seven-storey structure in Thakur Pada.

Personnel from the fire brigade, disaster management cell, and staff from the encroachment department rushed to the spot with a rescue vehicle and removed the damaged portions, preventing a collapse, Tadvi said.

As a precautionary measure, six residential units were evacuated and sealed, the civic body said in a release.

The dust storm caused five incidents of tree falls across the city, and multiple vehicles were damaged, it stated.