NEW DELHI: Eight bodies were found until late Wednesday night. At least 12 labourers were in the building under construction and all of them are feared trapped, says Chief Fire Officer Arun Kumar Singh.
Rescuers on Thursday pulled out another body from the debris of the two adjacent buildings that collapsed in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi, pushing the death toll to nine, a fire department official said.
A six-floor building under construction crashed on a five-storey building next to it, bringing it down as well, in Shahberi village under the Bisrakh police station on Tuesday night.
Chief Fire Officer Arun Kumar Singh said the body of one Naushad was pulled out on July 19 morning.
Eight bodies were found until late Wednesday night. At least 12 labourers were in the building under construction and all of them were feared trapped, according to Mr. Singh.
He said the operation to remove the debris may take another 20 hours.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has mounted the rescue operation along with the police and the fire departments.
Rescuers have deployed heavy machinery to shift concrete slabs and used drills to reach to people buried under the debris. Sniffer dogs were trying to detect signs of life.
Police have arrested four people, including the landowner. Altogether, 24 people have been named in the FIR. Charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Officer on Special Duty in Greater Noida Development Authority, Vibha Chahal, has been removed from her post.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of two other officials, project manager V.P. Singh and assistant project manager Akhtar Abbas Zaidi, for dereliction of duty.
Mr. Adityanath has asked the Meerut Divisional Commissioner to conduct an inquiry and determine the extent of illegal construction in the area.
Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh has also ordered an investigation, to be completed within 15 days.
NDRF Director General Sanjay Kumar on July 18 said rescuers were exercising caution in operating the machines so that those trapped under the debris were not harmed. This was leading to the delay.
Source: Press Trust of India