Eight killed in Vadodara buildings collapse, over 24 still trapped

Eight people have died and dozens more have been trapped in the collapse of adjacent three-storey apartment buildings in western India, according to police.

The first building collapsed at approximately 4.30am local time, police said, and the other fell half an hour later, pinning more than 30 people under the debris of an apartment block that was home to about a dozen families in Vadodara, Gujarat state.

Police said rescuers were working to pull out the people trapped under the rubble, several of whom were wounded.

"Seven bodies have been retrieved and seven people evacuated so far," a local official told the BBC.

Most of the occupants of the 14 apartments in the first building were sleeping when it collapsed. The adjacent housing block was evacuated minutes before it buckled

About 14 families were staying in the building.

Manish Bhardwaj, Vadodara Municipal Commissioner, Satish Sharma, city police commissioner and city Mayor Bharat Shah and other senior officials have rushed to the site.

"Rescue and relief operations are in full swing. However, it is difficult to tell the exact number of people trapped under the debris. A few people, including a minor girl, have been rescued from the site so far," Vadodara mayor Bharat Shah said.

Talking to PTI, he said, "I was admitted to hospital and soon after learning about this mishap, I am on my way to the site.

Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have arrived to assist the fire brigade in the rescue work.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi consoled the death of the persons while asking the state authorities to conduct the rescue operations to bring out all those trapped inside.

He also asked the state finance minister Nitin Patel to rush at the spot for monitoring rescue operation launched by Vadodara municipal corporation and national disaster relief force.

Chief minister also announced a relief of Rs. two lakh for the kin of the deceased and said an inquiry commission will probe the incident.

Built for the economically weaker sections by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA), the buildings were in dilapidated conditions and locals blamed the poor construction and no maintenance by the authorities.

"We had drawn the attention of authorities like VUDA about the buildings but they paid no heed and now both buildings collapsed as we had feared," local residents told local channels.

The injured have been rushed to SSG hospital for treatment.

Building collapses are common in India as builders try to cut corners by using substandard materials, and as multistorey structures are built with inadequate supervision.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/gujarat/6-killed-in-Vadodara-buildings-collapse-over-24-still-trapped/Article1-1113955.aspx

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/indian-building-collapse-dead-trapped