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.

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."