Lagatar24 Desk
Surat, Gujarat: In a devastating incident, one person has died and many are feared trapped after a six-storey building collapsed in Sachin Pali village, Surat, following days of relentless rain. Officials reported that 15 individuals were injured, and one woman was rescued alive from the rubble.
The building, constructed just eight years ago, contained 30 apartments, of which only five were occupied. Horrifying visuals from the scene depict large concrete slabs piled atop each other, forming a mountain of debris. The collapse occurred this afternoon, with five families inside, raising concerns about several people being trapped.
Emergency services, including police and fire department officials, quickly responded, initiating a search and rescue operation. Visuals showed rescuers navigating through the wreckage, desperately seeking signs of life. By late evening, they managed to recover a body.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called in to assist with the rescue efforts. Witnesses described the terrifying moment the building collapsed and the ensuing chaos as locals rushed to aid in the rescue.
Despite the building being relatively new, officials revealed it was in a dilapidated state, with most flats unoccupied. Dr. Saurabh Parghi, Surat’s District Collector, stated, “We rescued one woman a while ago. According to her, four or five more could be trapped inside. Teams of the NDRF and SDRF have been pressed into action. We are hopeful that we will be able to rescue the rest within a few hours.”
Surat’s Police Commissioner, Anupam Singh Gehlot, expressed confidence in the ongoing rescue operations. “We can hear their voices from inside the rubble. They will be rescued within an hour or two,” he assured.
Authorities have promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse to prevent such tragedies in the future.