NEW DELHI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the collapse of a building still under construction in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru had risen to eight, officials said Wednesday.
According to officials, rescuers have pulled 13 individuals.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation was underway at the spot with the National Disaster Response Force team carrying out searches in the tons of debris to pull out bodies and survivors, if any.
The building collapsed on Tuesday amid heavy rains in Babusapalya area of the city.
"So far eight people have been killed in this building collapse incident. The exact number of trapped ones is not known but there is apprehension that two to three people are still under the debris," a police official said. "Two earthmovers are on the spot moving the debris and dog squads are also here to help trace the trapped people."
The official said the search operation continued throughout the night and was going on until the last reports poured in.
Police have registered a case and arrested the son of the building owner and contractor.
Reports said the building owner had obtained permission for the construction of only four floors but illegally constructed a seven-story structure.
The victims were identified as construction workers from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh who were working inside the building at the time of its collapse.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said strict action would be taken against the owner of the building.
"To prevent such incidents from reoccurring in the future, it will be made mandatory to obtain permission for the buildings and a team will be deployed to monitor the buildings under construction."
Deadly accidents due to failing infrastructure, either new or old, are common in India. Construction experts blame the lax administration and corruption in India for flouting building rules that often result in using poor quality materials, inadequate supervision and poor safety standards for workers. ■
