At least two people were killed after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad district of Karnataka, PTI quoted the police as saying. At least 40 people are feared trapped under the rubble, reports said.
The incident took place in Kumareshwara Nagar area of the district on Belagavi road, The Times Of India reported. Construction work was in progress on the third floor of the building, and as many as 150 people were inside shops on the first and second floors.
Police Commissioner MN Nagaraj, Deputy Commissioner M Deepa, and other senior officials rushed to the spot, The Hindu reported. A rescue operation is under way to extricate those trapped under the building.
Dharwad’s top medical officer Giridhar Kokinad said all hospitals in the district have been put on alert and 20 ambulances sent to the site, NDTV reported.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy instructed the chief secretary to supervise the rescue operations and mobilise additional resources and expert rescuers by a special flight to Dharwad. “The rescue operation is on and five people have been extricated, so far, from the debris,” he said in a tweet. “I have instructed the concerned officials to be on location.”
The building is owned by a relative of Dharwad MLA Vinay Kulkarni, along with six to seven other partners, The Times Of India reported. “I am also rushing to the spot and have told police and fire and emergency personnel to expedite rescue operations,” said the Congress leader.
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