Five persons were killed and 12 injured when an under-construction five-storeyed building collapsed on an adjacent students’ hostel, police said today.
Fourteen persons, including a ten-year-old boy, were pulled out when the building in Gandhinagar collapsed last night, they said.
A student, Rudragowda (22), died on the spot while the bodies of the other four are yet to be identified.
An injured labourer, who was rescued, told police that over 20 persons were still trapped even as screams for help by those trapped could be heard on the spot.
Efforts are on in full swing to rescue more than 20 feared trapped in the debris, police said, adding the injured have been admitted to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) Hospital here.
Meanwhile, responding to the district administration’s plea, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Pune and Madras Engineering Group Army centre personnel from Bangalore has arrived and is helping in rescue operations.
NDRF Assistant Commandant Vivek Bindra is supervising the rescue operations.
Bellary City Corporation has suspended two engineers on charges of dereliction of duty.
Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy visited the spot and announced Rs one lakh compensation to the families of those killed.
