MP building collapse: Three pulled alive as search continues for others feared buried; probe launched
Anuppur: At least three people have been rescued and shifted to a hospital after a four-storey building collapsed in Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district on the evening of April 4, said officials on Sunday, adding that the rescue operation, aimed at locating others who may be trapped, is being conducted by various agencies, including the NDRF and local police. Additionally, an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
Two bodies were recovered from the debris on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Hanuman Yadav (55) and Ramkripal Yadav (50), police told IANS.
The three survivors were admitted to the Shahdol district hospital.
A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, arrived at midnight and joined the rescue operation. Officials said another NDRF team from Varanasi was also on its way.
“Five people have been rescued, of whom two have died, and three are undergoing treatment. The NDRF-SDRF team and district administration are engaged here in the rescue operation,” Anuppur Collector Harshal Pancholi told IANS on Sunday.
He further stated that at least four to five people are still feared to be trapped under the debris, and they are being searched. A dog squad also arrived at the spot.
Official sources also confirmed that a four-member team led by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) K.C. Gupta has reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the matter.
Minister in charge of Anuppur district, Dilip Ahirwar, who was in Chhatarpur district (around 500 km), reached the spot early morning on Sunday.
On Saturday evening, around 5.30 p.m., a four-storey hotel near the Kotma bus stand in the Anuppur district collapsed.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday posted a message on his social media account (X) and expressed his condolences.
According to officials, the building that collapsed belongs to Lallu Agarwal, a resident of Kotma town, where the tragic incident occurred.
Badri Prasad Tamrakar, vice-president of Anumpur municipality, said that a pit approximately 12 feet deep had been dug for construction purposes on a plot measuring roughly 20 by 50 feet, situated directly next to the collapsed building. The pit was subsequently filled with water, which compromised the foundation of the lodge.
Apart from this, renovation work had been underway on top of the building for several days before the incident. Work related to tiling and plumbing was still in progress at the time of the tragedy.