Death toll in Bengaluru building collapse reaches eight; owner, contractor detained

On By Yukito

BENGALURU: The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction building in Bengaluru’s Babusapalya has risen to eight with six more bodies recovered during search and rescue operations.

The collapse occurred on Tuesday around 3:40 p.m. as a result of heavy rains that hit the city. A total of 21 laborers from Bihar, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Yadgir in Karnataka were trapped when an under-construction building collapsed. CCTV footage shows the first floor of the building collapsing, causing the entire six-story structure to tilt and then split in two.

A night rescue operation involving NDRF, SDRF, police and fire brigade is underway to rescue the trapped workers.

Earlier said a senior officer IT CUT that the death toll was five, with three people still believed to be trapped in the collapsed structure.

He announced that after the rescue operations are completed, the police will take appropriate action based on the reports of the injured.

“Bhuvan Reddy, son of Muniraja Reddy, under whose name the building is being constructed, and the contractor Muniyappa, who built it, have been detained,” a senior police official told PTI.

“The permission was granted only for the construction of a four-story building, but seven floors were under construction,” the official said.

According to the police, the five deceased have been identified as Harman (26), Tripal (35), Mohammad Sahil (19), Sathya Raju (25) and Shankar. A total of 13 people were rescued and six are undergoing treatment at Bengaluru North and Hosmat hospitals.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who visited the spot, indicated that the use of substandard materials could have been the reason for the incident. Labor Minister Santosh Lad, who supervised the rescue operation, also reached the spot.

“Several constructions are being carried out in the city using low-quality materials. I have directed the officials to investigate the matter to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” Shivakumar said.

(With PTI input)