At least 15 people were killed in India after two buildings collapsed in New Dehli and Tamil Nadu states on Saturday, police said. Dozens are feared trapped under the rubble.
Ten people were killed, including five children, when a four-story building in New Delhi toppled over, security officials said. The 50-year-old apartment building housed only fourteen residents, according to police.
Building collapse in Delhi brings forth need to adhere to safety requirements. Structural Permits should be issued after proper inspection.
— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) June 28, 2014
The cause of the incident has not yet been established, but
officials suspect it is due to construction work in an adjoining
building.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the accident a
"nexus between the builder mafia and the municipal
corporation,” Reuters reported.
In another incident, five people were killed and dozens were
trapped under rubble after an 11-story building under
construction collapsed 20 kilometers from Chennai, the capital
city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, local media reported.
Fifteen people have been rescued and those wounded have been
transported to Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital. Police
suspect that between 40 and 50 people are still trapped under the
debris, NDTV reported.
"Some 10 workers are in hospital and one of them is in the
intensive care unit," K. Shanmugasundaram, a spokesman for
the state police, told Reuters.
Six construction workers have been identified and rescue teams
are trying to save them. However, rescue efforts were hampered by
heavy rains and a power cut.
"Police have been ordered to take action against those who
are responsible for the incident," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
J. Jayalalithaa said in a statement, as quoted by local media.
Investigations into both incidents have been launched by local
police.
There have been numerous recent collapses of buildings in India,
most of which are typically related to badly constructed or
illegally built structures. An eight-story building housing 150
people collapsed in April 2013 near Mumbai, killing 72 and
injuring dozens more. In September, a five-story building toppled
in Mumbai, killing more than 60. More than 100 people died in
such accidents last year, according to local media reports.