At least three construction workers have died in Bengaluru as an under construction building collapsed in Kasavanahalli in Bengaluru. At least 15 others are trapped in the debris, and ten workers have been rescued.
Mayor Sampath Raj told TNM, "Three people have died. One person is in critically injured. There are still some persons trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are underway."
The under construction building had five storeys. Police and personnel from the State Disaster Relief Force are on the ground to rescue those trapped. The building was located on Kasavanahalli on Central Jail Road near Haralur. Officials of the National Disaster Force are also expected to reach the spot shortly.
Building collapse in Bengaluru's Kasavanahalli, police suspect 15 workers to be trapped inside, Mayor Sampath Raj says four workers have died, rescue ops on @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/qgDR6W9wWa
— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) February 15, 2018
"They had constructed five storeys in the building, but only three were sanctioned," the Mayor told TNM.
According to a Fire and Emergency Response Team official, a first responder vehicle had left the station at 4.25pm.
Kasavanahalli building collapse: @dcpwhitefield says that the building owners - Kunni Ahmed and Rafiq are from Kerala and are not in town. Six rescued persons have been admitted to a private hospital. @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/xXtJmmYrQp
— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) February 15, 2018
"The owner of the house is from Kerala - Kunni Ahmed and his son-in-law Rafiq is a resident of HSR Layout. They are not in town and we are trying to track down their business partner. Six people who were rescued have been admitted to a private hospital nearby," DCP Abdul Ahad told TNM.
The building has been under construction for six years. For the last two years, the building construction had been stopped for unknown reasons.
This collapse comes on the back of multiple instances of building bye law violations. Just last week, two buildings -- one in Yeshwanthpur and another in Jayanagar -- had dangerously tilted to one side.
In October 2017, seven persons including a pregnant woman had died when a a two-storey house crumbled down in Bengaluru’s Ejipura.
An illegally-constructed building was demolished in Bengaluru’s Ejipura after it began to lean dangerously to one side in August, 2017. That time, it was the building of extra floors than the approved plan which caused the mishap.
Earlier in 2016, at least three persons were killed when a muti-storey under-construction residential building collapsed at Bellandur in south-east Bengaluru.