india

Updated: Sep 05, 2019 23:08 IST

At least two persons died and four were injured when a three-storey, nearly 100-year-old, building collapsed in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Eight persons were reportedly buried under the debris when a dilapidated building in Banglowwali Chawl in eastern Ahmedabad’s Amraiwadi area came crashing down at 2 pm.

“Five people were rescued soon. But it took some time to rescues others. Rescue operations are still on,” said a fire brigade official.

The fire brigade vehicles could not go inside to commence the rescue operation due to narrow lanes leading up to the location of untoward collapse. Additionally, the narrow lanes did not permit the movement of heavy equipment that rescue force needed for the operations.

“The locals have come forward to help and some residents formed a human chain to dig and pass rubble by hand, along with the fire brigade team. Without everyone joining the hands, it was impossible to remove the rubble from the lane,” said Ahmedabad municipal councillor Baldev Desai, adding that the “building was some 100-years-old.”

Of the six persons referred to government-run hospital, two women were declared ‘brought dead’ by doctors, the authorities said, adding four others are currently under treatment.

“The rescue operation is still on as we suspect that more people are still trapped under the debris,” said deputy commissioner of police Akshaya Raj Makwana.

Levelling blame on the Ahmedabad Municipal Committee, the Congress said that the AMC failed in its duty on preventing residents from living in the damaged building.

“The building was old and in dilapidated condition. As far as we know, no notice was served to the residents by the AMC and no safety check was done. This has claimed two lived’’, said Jagdish Rawal Congress councillor.

BJP ruled AMC Mayor Bijal Patel said, “The AMC in pre-monsoon drive has served notices to all the unsafe building. This was private property. The AMC cannot forcibly ask anyone to vacate private building”.