Scramble to find survivors after at least 15 construction workers die in collapse of five-storey apartment block in Goa

At least 15 workers have been killed after a building collapsed and was reduced to a pile of broken rubble, at a development in Goa, on Saturday.

Rescuers spent Sunday using backhoes and shovels to search for survivors amid the concrete and dust left behind following the collapse of the residential building, which is under construction in Canacona, about 44 miles from the state capital of Panaji.

Authorities suspect dozens more may be trapped under the rubble, but are yet to determine how many workers were on site when the five-story structure crumpled on Saturday afternoon.


Witnesses said the Ruby Residency, being built by Bharat Realtors and Developers, crashed like a 'pack of cards' at around 3pm and reported seeing at least 40 workers.

Soldiers and fire-fighters listened for movement or cries from the wreckage as they worked overnight to clear the debris, said state official Venancio Furtado.

At least ten people were pulled out alive overnight, but the chance of finding survivors was dwindling, Furtado added.

By Sunday afternoon, the death toll had reached 15, according to the state government.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said he ordered a review of the construction project, after seeing cracks that developed in the adjacent apartment building, which was also constructed by the same Mumbai-based company.

'The design is faulty, which is why the tragedy happened,' said Parrikar.

Police are investigating both the building company and city officials who approved the construction on a patch of marshland in Panaji.

But they have so far been unable to track down the construction manager and building contractor.

'Without the contractor, it is impossible for us to know how many labourers were on the shift,' said state official Ajit Panchwadkar, who supervised today's rescue effort.


Many of the workers had come from other, poorer states, including Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in search of jobs in India's thriving construction business.

One worker who was not at the scene when the building collapsed said he earned about 300 rupees (£3) for a day's work, according to Press Trust of India.

Several workers took the day off on Saturday to attend a nearby state cultural fair. 'We rushed from the event when we heard the building had fallen,' said Manoj Kumar, a worker originally from the eastern state of Orissa.

Sunday 05 January 2014

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