Himachal Woman Dies in Mohali Building Collapse, Case Filed Against Owners

Mohali Building Collapse: A 20-year-old woman, hailing from Himachal Pradesh, died after she was pulled out of the debris of a four-storey building that collapsed in the Sohana village of Punjab's Mohali district on Saturday, officials said.

Drishti Verma, a native of Theog, was rescued from the rubble in critical condition and was rushed to Sohana Hospital, Viraj S Tidke, officiating deputy commissioner, said.

The body of a boy named Abhishek has been recovered. Two building floors have been cleared and work is going on the rest of the floors. A total of two bodies have been recovered so far," Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek told news agency.

Also Read: PM Modi Attends Arabian Gulf Cup Opening Ceremony, Meets Kuwait Emir

A multi-storey building collapsed Saturday evening, with at least five people trapped in its rubble.

At least five people are said to be trapped in the rubble. Teams of the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Team (NDRF) are engaged in the rescue operation.

Preliminary information suggests the building, which also had a gym, collapsed due to digging in an adjacent plot.

Police said they have filed a case against the building owners -- Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh - under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with the punishment for culpable homicide that doesn’t amount to murder.

Officials said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been monitoring the situation over the phone.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan Called ‘Hakla’ by Rival Stars, Claims Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, police and district administration are on the spot and are carrying out rescue and relief operations on the site of the accident. Medical teams were also kept on standby.

"The Indian Army reacted swiftly to the rescue. In a remarkable display of coordinated efforts, Indian Army columns, NDRF, and state rescue teams have been relentlessly working to address the crisis. Engineer Task Force with debris clearance machines and JCBs are operational at the site. Top debris is removed and efforts are being made to reach the basement," Army's Western Command tweeted.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed his sorrow at the incident.

"Sad news has been received that a multi-storey building near Sohana in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) has collapsed. The entire administration and other rescue teams have been deployed at the spot. I am in constant touch with the administration," he tweeted.

"We will also take action against the culprits. Appeal to the people to cooperate with the administration," he said.

Also Read: Delhi Man Stabbed to Death Over ₹45,000 Loan Repayment Dispute