New Delhi: Four people died and more than ten people were injured after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed at Dhulkot village near Ambala city on Sunday while the concrete slab (lintel) for the roof was being cast, officials told PTI.
An injured worker said that around 10 labourers were working on the ground level, while 15 were engaged in the casting work above.
Local villagers rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts before informing the police and emergency services.
Read more: MCD demolishes 543 properties, seals 178 in 17-day crackdown after Satya Niketan building collapse
Police and administrative personnel arrived at the scene with rescue equipment and began removing debris.
According to an official, heavy earth-moving machines and other machinery are being used to remove the debris with maximum urgency.
Ambala Civil Surgeon Renu Beri said that 12 injured labourers were brought to the hospital. Five people still remain admitted; two were discharged on request, while the rest were discharged after receiving first aid.
"Four were brought dead to the civil hospital in the evening. Their bodies have been shifted to the mortuary," she told PTI.
Ambala's Superintendent of Police, Ajit Singh Shekhawat, confirmed to reporters that four people had died in the incident.
Read more: From Saket to Satya Niketan: 16 killed in 5 building collapses in Delhi this year
According to the official, the search for people trapped under the debris is ongoing, with medical assistance being rendered to the injured.
NDRF, State Disaster Response Force, police and civil administration teams were engaged in the rescue operations after the incident, he said.
The police said an investigation into the cause of the accident will be initiated once rescue operations are concluded.
"Our immediate priority is the rescue operation at the site. Details regarding the building owner and other relevant details will also be shared later,” Shekhawat said.
“Whether it is unauthorised construction or if any negligence was involved, all this will be investigated,” he added.
The police officer, when asked about whether the three-storey building had necessary permission from the authorities concerned, told PTI that they are going to ask for records from the Ambala Municipal Corporation to check the legality of the site.
