Rescue officials are working through huge chunks of concrete, looking for those trapped
One person died, while several people are feared trapped after a six-storey building collapsed in Surat's Sachin Pali village amid several days of incessant rains. One woman was pulled out alive from under the debris, while 15 people have been injured in the incident, officials said.
The building had 30 apartments, of which five were occupied.
Horrifying visuals from the spot showed what remained of the building that was built just eight years ago - large chunks of concrete slabs lay on top of the other in a mountain of debris.
Five families were inside the building when it collapsed this afternoon, spiking fears of several being trapped in the concrete rubble.
The police and fire department officials rushed to the spot and launched an operation to look for those trapped and rescue them. Visuals showed rescue officials climbing through the wreckage, looking for life under it. By late evening, they pulled out a body.
A National Disaster Response Force team has been called in to help with the rescue work.
Locals spoke of the moment the building came crashing down in front of them, the chaos that ensued, and how they rushed to save anyone they could.
According to the officials, although not much old, the building was dilapidated, and most flats were vacant.
Dr Saurabh Parghi, Surat's District Collector, said, "A six-storey building collapsed. We rescued one woman a while ago. According to her, four or five more could be trapped inside. Teams of the NDRF and SDRF have been pressed into action. We are hopeful that we will be able to rescue the rest within a few hours."
Surat's Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot also seemed confident that those trapped under the wreckage will be rescued by tonight. "We can hear their voices from inside the rubble. They will be rescued within an hour or two," he said.
The administration will investigate what led to the collapse.
