Residential building collapses in Surat; over 15 injured, several trapped

Over 15 persons were injured while several others remain trapped after a six-storey residential building collapsed in Sachin Pali village of Surat following incessant rains for several days.

An official said rescue operations are underway and one woman has been rescued so far.

He said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with emergency responders, including police and fire department personnel, have been deployed for the rescue efforts.

A fire department official said they could not confirm the exact number of people trapped as many labourers were sleeping in their rooms when the incident happened.

“This building needed repair but no one paid attention to it, which will be investigated. As of now, our focus is to rescue the people,” he said.

The building, despite its relatively recent construction, was reportedly in poor condition with many of its flats unoccupied.

"A six-storey building collapsed during the afternoon in the Pal area of the city. We learned that four to five flats were occupied in the building. One woman has been rescued. Four to five people are still feared trapped. Search and rescue operations are ongoing with the help of NDRF and SDRF. We hope that the operation will end in a couple of hours," said Surat district collector Sourabh Pardhi.

Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, who arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operation, confirmed that the voices of trapped persons were heard at the beginning of the rescue efforts.

He said the building was constructed in 2016-17. Prima facie, around five flats in the building, were occupied, mostly by those who work in factories in this area, he added.

"When rescue work started, we heard voices of those who were trapped inside. We rescued a woman alive from the rubble and sent her to the hospital. We suspect that nearly five people are still trapped inside," stated Gehlot.