Two people were killed while 23 people were rescued from under the debris after a building collapsed in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district due to heavy rains on Sunday, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. Several people are still feared trapped, ANI reported.
The incident took place on Kumarkatti-Nahan road, about 55 km from state capital Shimla. The first and ground floor of the building that collapsed were reportedly residential quarters.
Chief Minister Thakur said that a team of National Disaster Response Force from Panchkula had reached the spot and rescue operations were under way. He also said that search operations should be concluded within the next few hours and a proper investigation will be conducted.
Solan Additional Superintendent of Police Shiv Kumar said that heavy rains were hampering the rescue operations, the Hindustan Times reported.
The casualties included both civilians and Army personnel. There were conflicting reports on the exact number of Army personnel who were trapped in the collapse. “A total 25 persons were on the spot,” ANI quoted Director-cum-Special Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management DC Rana. The Army personnel and their family, who were on their way to Uttarakhand, are believed to have stopped at a restaurant in the building for lunch when the incident happened, reported PTI.
Bharatiya Janata Party Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda said he had spoken to the chief minister about the incident. “A building has collapsed in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, in which some army personnel are also trapped,” ANI quoted him as saying. “I spoke to the Chief Minister of the State, Jai Ram ji for relief operations. He is personally monitoring the incident.”
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