Building collapse kills at least 64 in New Delhi

Anothe­r 78 people were injure­d and at least 30 more are believ­ed to still be trappe­d in the rubble.


Reuters November 16, 2010

NEW DELHI: Rescuers using shovels, digging machines and their bare hands searched for survivors on Tuesday after a five-storey residential building collapsed in India's capital, crushing at least 60 people to death.

Another 78 people were injured and at least 30 more were believed to still be trapped in the rubble after the collapse on Monday night, police and rescuers said. "The lanes are very narrow. It is not easy for the (rescue) team to get there," said Sheila Dikshit, Delhi's chief minister.

She blamed the building's faulty construction for the collapse and said her government would order a probe into it. Local authorities said the building collapsed as its basement was waterlogged for days after heavy monsoon rains.

Many Indian buildings do not confirm to safety or zoning regulations, with owners building additional floors or structures without approval. One local resident said he was still looking for his missing son. "I first saw the plaster from my flat's roof falling and within a few minutes I realized the whole building was collapsing."

COMMENTS (2)

iWatch | 13 years ago | Reply "...and in a telephone statement the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility"
Shakir Lakhani | 13 years ago | Reply This building was just like the state of India: no firm foundation, no pillars and extremely weak structure. And (like the Indian state), outwardly it looked very strong, but inwardly it was like a house of cards.
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