India prepares to clear earthquake ruins

Indian officials are preparing to clear the ruins of a number of apartment blocks which collapsed in last week's catastrophic earthquake.

Officials in Gujarat state, where the quake's epicentre was located, said the confirmed death toll stands at 16,403.

The toll is expected to jump when earthmovers and bulldozers move in on Monday.

Complaints against 21 construction companies have so far been lodged with police in Ahmedabad, the state's commercial capital, accusing the owners and structural engineers of murder and fraud.

Experts said construction companies often used poor materials, flouted architectural norms and were part of a cycle of corruption and inefficiency that involved government officials and politicians.

A survey by engineers after the earthquake showed that in many cases the pillars were not secured to foundations with steel reinforcements, as the national code requires.

Sinking the pillars directly into concrete without steel reinforcements saved 20 to 25 percent on building costs but made buildings much weaker.

When the earthquake struck, many such buildings, several less than six months old, swayed and collapsed under their own weight or because adulterated cement walls buckled. Many tilted to one side and crumbled.