Five bodies have been recovered, and five people were injured after an under-construction building collapsed in the Horamavu Agara area of eastern Bengaluru amid heavy rain, said Bengaluru police sources.
According to Satish Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Bengaluru, the bodies have been identified as Harman (26), Tripal (35), Mohd Sahil (19), Sathya Raju (25), and Shankar.
The injured individuals have been identified as Jagadevi (45), Rasheed (28), Nagaraju (25), Ramesh Kumar (28), Harman (22), and Ayaj. Five injured individuals are being treated at Bengaluru North Hospital, while one is at Hosmat Hospital.
A total of seven other people were rescued, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to 13. Several others are still feared trapped under the debris of the collapsed building.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with dog squads, have been deployed at the site as the search continues for people trapped under the rubble.
Vakeel Pasawn, a labourer who jumped from the building to save himself, said, “Out of the four of us, three managed to escape, but the fourth one got stuck. I was unable to understand what was happening at the time. I was working on the sixth floor. I worked as a labourer and lived here as well.”
Director General of Fire Services Prashant Kumar Thakur had earlier stated that five people were currently trapped in the building, and the rescue teams were waiting for professional concrete cutters to remove the debris.
He emphasised that the assessment of casualties would be conducted after the rescue operation was complete. “The police control received the information at 4 PM on Tuesday, and the fire control received the information at 5 PM. After we received information regarding the collapse of the building, fire tenders and personnel were rushed to the spot. Teams of SDRF and NDRF were also informed to reach the location, and rescue operations are underway. As per our information, five people are currently trapped, and we are waiting for professional concrete cutters to remove the debris,” Thakur said.
“After the investigation, we will know how many people have died. We are now trying to rescue the individuals trapped under the debris. Around 15-20 labourers were living in the building, and there were others who lived in a shed near the building. Efforts are underway to rescue them,” he added.