Six-storey building collapse in Surat, India: at least 7 fatalities

On Saturday, July 6^th, a six-storey building with 30 apartments collapsed in the Sachin area of Surat, Gujarat, following extended bad weather and heavy rainfall. The catastrophic incident resulted in the death of at least 7 people while many others trapped beneath the debris as officials stated. Fortunately, the collapse occurred during working hours and most of the apartments were empty.

Police and fire department rescuers promptly arrived at the scene and with the contribution of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) started the rescue operation. Commissioner Gehlot, who oversaw the rescue operations, mentioned that immediately when the teams started the efforts, they heard the voices of the trapped individuals.

It should be mentioned that the building was constructed in 2017 but it was neglected and only a few flats were occupied by factory workers. Nevertheless, the cause of the collapse is not known yet and an investigation is undergoing.