Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Tragedy struck Mohali district in Punjab on Saturday evening as a four-storey building collapsed, claiming the lives of at least two individuals and leaving many feared trapped under the rubble for over 17 hours. The rescue operation is ongoing with teams from the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) working tirelessly.
Victims Identified
The deceased have been identified as:
•Drishti Verma (20), from Theog, Himachal Pradesh, who was rescued but succumbed to her injuries at Sohana Hospital.
•Abhishek, a resident of Ambala, Haryana, whose body was recovered this morning.
Several others are believed to still be trapped, with rescue teams having cleared approximately 60% of the debris so far.
Investigation Points to Negligence
Preliminary investigations suggest the collapse was triggered by unauthorized excavation work in an adjacent plot. Senior police officer Deepak Pareek confirmed that a case has been filed against the building owners, Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh, under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Government Response
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Sad news has been received that a multistorey building near Sohana in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) has collapsed. The entire administration and other rescue teams have been deployed at the spot. I am in constant touch with the administration.”
He assured strict action against those responsible and urged residents to cooperate with rescue efforts.
Helpline Number
Authorities have issued a helpline number for assistance: 0172-2219506.
The rescue operation continues as officials race against time to save lives amidst the tragedy.
