New Delhi: At least two people have been killed while 12 others suffered injuries after a three-storey building collapsed in Indore’s Ranipur area on Monday night.
District Collector Shivam Verma confirmed that 14 members of the same family were trapped under the debris. Twelve of them were rescued and taken to Maharaja Yeshwantrao Government Hospital (MYH) for treatment, while two others, identified as Alifa (20) and Faheem, died.
Rescue operations lasted five hours
Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, said Alifa was brought to MYH but was declared dead on arrival.
Rescue operations, which lasted nearly five hours, have since concluded. Officials said the front portion of the structure had been recently renovated but the rear remained old. “We will examine the condition of the building’s foundation,” the collector said. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava added that part of the structure collapsed onto a neighbouring building. Preliminary reports suggest the building was 8–10 years old.
Heavy rains led to cracks in the building
The collapse occurred at around 9 pm, sending panic through the neighbourhood. Police and municipal rescue teams reached the spot soon after receiving information. Two JCB machines were deployed to clear the rubble, with police personnel from multiple stations assisting the effort.
Locals said heavy rains in recent days had caused cracks in the building, which may have contributed to the collapse. Authorities said a larger tragedy was averted as most residents were outside at the time. Power supply in the area was cut off as a precaution.