Nearly 33,000 people died across India between 2020 and 2024 in incidents involving building collapses, fires and falls into pits and manholes, according to government data cited in National Crime Records Bureau reports. A large share of these deaths occurred in urban areas, raising questions about civic infrastructure, enforcement of safety rules and the functioning of municipal bodies, a TOI report stated.
The actual toll could be higher because the available data does not include road deaths within municipal limits, many of which have been linked to potholes, or deaths associated with contaminated water.
