Toll rises to seven in Surat building collapse, rescue operations continue

SURAT: The death toll rose to seven after a six-storied building collapsed in Surat. The seventh body was recovered from the debris around 6 am Sunday morning. Reports said that some more are still trapped in the debris and efforts are on to rescue them. The bodies of seven were found during a search conducted among the remnants. The search continued throughout the night. The search is still going on,' says Basant Pareek, chief fire officer of Surat.

More teams have been assigned for rescue operations. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot is camping in the spot to lead the rescue operations. The police have confirmed that they heard the voices of those trapped in the debris in the beginning of the rescue operations.

‘When the rescue operation started, we heard the voices of people trapped inside. We rescued a woman alive from the debris and shifted her to the hospital. We suspect that around five people are still trapped inside,' Gelot said.

The flats where the workers of the government-owned factory were living collapsed. The initial conclusion is that heavy rain is the cause of the accident. However, no official confirmation has been received in this regard. The collapsed building was constructed in 2017. Local residents said that the building was in a dilapidated condition, though it was not that old. Locals also said that many moved to other places because of this.