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Police, firefighters and crews from India’s disaster response
agency continued their search for a second day as earthmovers
cleared debris and sniffer dogs worked the site to help rescuers
reach those still trapped inside.
Rescue crews pulled at least 12 people from under the rubble,
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters at the site on
Monday. About 80% of the debris had been cleared and only rubble
from the basement remained, she said, adding that six people
died and six others were injured in the incident.
Later Monday, rescuers recovered a body, raising the death toll
to seven, officials said.
According to residents, the building was at least 55 years old
and had been under renovation for months before reopening to
tenants, mostly students, in August despite work remaining
unfinished.
Prakash Chand, a resident, said laborers were in the basement
carrying out digging work when the building collapsed.
Preliminary findings suggest water accumulation in the basement
and ongoing repair work on the aging building may have caused
the collapse, Gupta said.
She said the government will draft a policy requiring periodic
structural audits and safety certificates for buildings used by
the public, including student accommodations, nursing homes and
schools. “No public activity will be permitted” in buildings
that fail to comply, Gupta said.
After Gupta’s visit, police arrested the building owner and
filed a case against him. Authorities also suspended at least
five municipal employees responsible for building safety
oversight in the area, the Press Trust of India news agency
reported.
Building collapses are a recurring hazard in parts of India
during the June-to-September monsoon season, when heavy or
prolonged rain can weaken older structures.
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