40 feared dead in Bellary as building collapses

The ground floor of the building at Gandhinagar Second Cross in the city caved in suddenly. A weak foundation is said to be the cause of the accident.

Eyewitnesses said that there were nearly 40 construction workers on the ground floor. At the time of the building collapse, they were having dinner with their families.

Most of the workers were from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and Gulbarga district.
A Backward Class and Minorities Hostel building beside the flat structure was also damaged when a portion of the building collapsed on the hostel wall.

Two hostellers are feared buried under the debris, while one of them, identified as Rudhre Gowda studying in PUC first year, was declared dead.

Three other students who were seriously injured have been admitted to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science.

Substandard work is said to be the reason for the building collapse.

The police have cordoned off the site and the rescue operation is in full swing. Excavators have been pressed into service to clear the debris. However, darkness was hampering rescue operations, police said.

Minister G Janardhan Reddy, in charge of the district,  Health Minister B Sriramulu, and KMF president G Somashekar Reddy rushed to the spot and are overseeing the rescue operations.

A National Disaster Management team from Pune will arrive on Wednesday to join the rescue work.