In a tragic incident, a six-story building in Surat’s Sachin area in Gujarat collapsed on Saturday, July 6, leading to a death toll of seven on Sunday following the rescue operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The seven people have been rescued, but it is unclear how many are still trapped under the debris. The seven bodies recovered by the authorities have been sent for a post-mortem to the hospital.
30-apartment Building Was Illegally Built In 2017
Reportedly, the building was already in a dilapidated condition and allegedly collapsed at around 2:45 PM on Saturday due to the incessant rains in the area. It was home to several migrant textile workers and their families, where they stayed on rent. It was a thirty apartment building, where only five flats were occupied with a rent of Rs. 1200 a month. Reports suggest that the residential building was constructed illegally in 2017 in the Sachin Pali Village.
Police, Fire Brigade Arrived At The Spot Immediately
As most flats were vacant in the building, a few locals arrived to rescue and save those who were trapped. They said that they heard cries from those who were trapped after the collapse. Search operations were conducted throughout the night, chief Fire Officer, Basant Pareek reports. Rescue workers have been at work to remove the concrete slabs to uncover the debris. Police and fire Brigade were called to the site immediately after the collapse. Moreover, the textile workers who were sleeping after their night shifts during the collapse, came under the rubble. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said only three bodies were pulled out on the night of Saturday, while others were trapped for over twelve hours under the debris.
A 23-year-old Woman Saved
Rajesh Kumar, Surat Deputy Commissioner of Police (SDCP) Zone-6, reported that a 23-year-old woman, identified as Kashish Sharma, had been saved. After her rescue, she was taken to the New Civil Hospital where she was found in a stable condition. Meanwhile, 15 others were recovered with injuries. Authorities said that many others are trapped inside the building rubble, although the exact number is still unknown and rescue operations are underway. Further updates are awaited.