Rajasthan Building Collapse: At least two people were killed and several others trapped after a three-story building collapsed in Kota, Rajasthan, on Saturday night. The collapse has raised concerns that more people may be buried under the debris.
A young man and a woman lost their lives after being trapped under the debris. More than two dozen people were trapped under the rubble, and by late night, ten individuals had been rescued. Four of the injured are in critical condition, according to Jagran.com. The incident occurred in the Talwandi area, where a restaurant was located in the building. Police and rescue teams rushed to the scene and launched a search-and-rescue operation.
According to Jagran.com, so far, 8 to 10 people have been rescued from the debris, with some reported to be in critical condition. They have been admitted to Kota Medical College Hospital and other local hospitals. Initial reports indicate that both customers and employees were inside the restaurant at the time of the collapse.
Preliminary reports suggest that the building was under construction, with work ongoing on the upper floors. Possible causes of the collapse include the use of substandard construction materials or heavy machinery, such as JCBs. Police and authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took to X and said, “The building collapse in Indra Vihar, Kota, is deeply distressing. I am in regular contact with the district administration and have directed the District Collector and other officials to speed up the rescue and relief efforts.”
Calling it a "major accident", Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Madan Dilawar said, "There is information of two deaths so far, and nine people were hospitalised. Four of them are still in the hospital, while around four have either shifted to a private hospital or gone home."
Local MLA Sandeep Sharma, who reached the spot soon after the incident, told reporters the building had collapsed suddenly.
"There is a possibility that several people are trapped. The police and administration reached the site promptly, and rescue operations are underway. Some people have been pulled out," he said.
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District Collector Piyush Samaria told reporters that teams were deployed immediately after the collapse.
"We received information about the building collapse, and rescue operations were started without delay. Five people have been rescued and shifted to the hospital so far. At this stage, it is not possible to confirm how many people are still trapped," he said.
( With PTI Inputs )