Palghar Fire Brigade broke through a house wall to rescue 70‑year‑old Vinod Jadhav from a one‑foot gap between two houses on Saturday morning.
The incident was reported from Bhimai Nagar, Navli, where residents heard a faint groan and saw smoke rising from the narrow space. By 4:30 a.m., the fire crew had arrived and assessed the scene: a gap less than 30 centimetres, too tight for a direct lift.
Firefighters decided a direct extraction was impossible. They broke through the outer wall of the lower house to create a makeshift corridor. Leading Fireman Ruchit Davane said, "We had to create an access route before we could pull him out." The team—driver Nilesh Patil, and firemen Sanket Patil, Rupesh Pamale and Mohanish Pagdhare—worked swiftly, using a hydraulic jack and a sledgehammer.
Jadhav was moved to Palghar Government Hospital by ambulance. The doctor on duty noted he had minor bruises but was otherwise stable. He told the paramedic that he had been trapped for about 40 minutes and feared the walls would close in.
In a statement, the Palghar District Collector said the incident "underscores the need for stricter building safety checks in densely populated neighbourhoods." He added that a municipal inquiry will be launched to review the structural integrity of nearby residences and issue new safety guidelines.
The rescue has sparked community support, with residents gathering outside the fire station to thank the crew. Meanwhile, the fire brigade is reviewing its protocols for similar narrow‑space rescues.