The death toll due to the collapse on Monday of a building near the Indian city of Bombay (west) has risen to 39, as confirmed by the authorities on Wednesday, indicating that around ten people are still trapped in the rubble. .
The collapse has affected 24 of the 48 homes that make up the block of flats in the town of Bhiwandi, after which the owner of the building has been charged with manslaughter and negligence, although he continues to flee.
Rescue teams search for ten missing persons under the rubble of the 24 houses that have collapsed
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has indicated that to date 25 people have been rescued in the place, where heavy machinery is deployed to remove the debris, according to the newspaper ‘The Hindustan Times’.
The deputy commander of the NDRF, Ashish Kumar, has indicated that “the relatives who are in the place say that there are between eight and ten people trapped”. “We are continuing the search,” he said, before adding that the rain “is affecting operations.”
On the other hand, about 40 families who lived in three buildings adjacent to the collapse have been evacuated by the authorities due to the risk of new landslides or the collapse of the structure.
The local police have said that the building was more than 35 years old and that it needed repairs but pointed out that the neighbors had not left the property despite being told that it had to be repaired.
Building collapses are a fairly common phenomenon in India, generally due to poor quality of materials, construction failures or non-compliance with regulations. Many of the accidents occur during the monsoon season
