Building collapses in India: At least 14 people dead

On March 19, 2019, a building that was under construction collapsed killing at least 14 people in India.

The incident occurred in Kumareshwara Nagar, Dharwad, at 3:40pm local time. The causes of the collapse have not been identified yet. According to local reports, the building was under construction for the past 2 years and 60 shops had already opened in the first 2 floors.

Rescue teams rushed at the scene in search of victims trapped under the rubble. The operations were intensified on Wednesday, 20 of March, after 3 teams of 11 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) stuff and 80 Fire and Emergency Services officials arrived with professional equipment.

62 people have been saved so far. Unfortunately, according to reports on Friday, 22 of March, the death toll has risen to 14 and at least 3 more people are still missing. "A total of 14 people have died. Yesterday, we rescued two people. Three more people are trapped in the debris. We have given oxygen and ORS to them. SDRF and NDRF teams are conducting rescue operations," Deputy Commissioner Deepa Cholan stated.

Some locals stated that the contractors utilized low-quality materials for the construction. Moreover, civic agencies knew about it but did not act to prevent the collapse. Still, the police have not arrested anyone but a case against the owners of the building has been filed and experts will investigate the causes of the failure in order to arrest those responsible.

Sadly, such incidents are common in India. About 6 months ago, an apartment block collapse in Delhi killed 5 people and some months earlier a 6-story building failure caused the death of 9 more. Increasing the safety of residential buildings in India is a critical issue that must be addressed as soon as possible.