Surat building collapse: Death toll rises to 7
While one body was pulled out of the rubble on Saturday, six more were found by rescue workers in an overnight operation
The death toll in the collapse of a six-storey building in Gujarat's Surat city has gone up to seven with the recovery of six more bodies overnight, police said on Sunday (July 7).
The residential building, located in Pal area, collapsed at around 2.45 pm on Saturday (July 6).
While a woman was rescued soon after the collapse, the body of a man was pulled out on Saturday night, an official earlier said.
Six more bodies were recovered from the debris by rescue workers, police said.
Seven bodies have been recovered in the operation that continued through the night, Sachin GIDC police station inspector Jignesh Chaudhari said.
Work on to remove rubble
After the incident, the rescue operation was launched with the help of teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local fire department.
A woman rescued soon after the building collapse was rushed to a hospital where she was undergoing treatment, Chaudhari said.
"While the operation to remove the rubble continues, we do not think there is anyone else trapped inside," he said.
Dilapidated structure
Even though the building was constructed in 2016-17, it was in a dilapidated condition. However, only a few residents were living in the building, officials said.
"Around five flats were occupied, mostly by those who work in factories in this area. When rescue work started, we heard the cries of those who were trapped. We rescued a woman from the rubble and sent her to hospital. Later, the dead body of a man was recovered," said Gehlot.
Surat district collector Sourabh Pardhi also reached the spot to oversee the search and rescue operation being carried out by the police, fire services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
