New Delhi:
The death count from the collapse of a four-storey under-construction building at Dharwad in north Karnataka rose to three on Wednesday morning even as 56 people were rescued. On Tuesday, the building came crashing down, triggering panic among neighbours and passers-by. As many as 10 ambulances and five fire tenders have been engaged to carry out rescue and relief operations. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said he was shocked to learn about the collapse of the under-construction building.
Rescuers have so far pulled out 56 people from the debris of the four-storeyed building under construction. Police said rescue operations have been intensified to extricate 30 people believed to be still trapped beneath the debris.
In addition to 10 ambulances and five fire tenders deployed for relief and rescue operations, three teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been pressed into service, two from Ghaziabad and one from Bengaluru.
"It is a shocking incident. Total 3 people have lost their lives. An inquiry will be ordered. Those injured will be treated free of cost. 1 SDRF team and 2 teams of NDRF conducting rescue operations," Karnataka Revenue Minister RV Deshpande said.
Karnataka Revenue Minister RV Deshpande on Dharwad building collapse: It is a shocking incident. Total 3 people have lost their lives. An inquiry will be ordered. Those injured will be treated free of cost. 1 SDRF team and 2 teams of NDRF conducting rescue operations. pic.twitter.com/UQsQR8CSao
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2019
“Two more teams of #NDRF are being airlifted from Ghaziabad in addition to one team which was moved from Bangalore in connection with Dharwad building collapse,†the NDRF tweeted.
About 150 police, fire and emergency personnel too have joined the rescue operations. No arrests have been made so far.
Former Karnataka minister and Congress leader from the region Vinay Kulkarni said Tuesday that one of the partners in the building was his relative and that whoever was involved should face action.
(With PTI inputs)
