32 dead in building collapse

At least 32 people were killed and many more were trapped under debris after a five-storey building collapsed in New Delhi today.

New Delhi police commissioner B.K. Gupta said at least 60 people were injured when the building on the Indian capital’s east side collapsed.

Emergency workers were trying to pull out people trapped under the debris, but their efforts were hampered as fire engines found it difficult to navigate the narrow alleys of Lalita Park, a residential area.

Local residents, who were the first to reach the scene of the accident, used their bare hands to scoop away mud and mortar and pull out survivors.

Residents helped carry the injured to vehicles and to transport them to nearby hospitals.

New Delhi’s top elected official, Sheila Dikshit, who reached the site to oversee rescue operations, said at 30 people were still trapped under the rubble.

She said it was not immediately possible to say what had caused the accident.

Poor construction material and inadequate foundations often are blamed for building collapses in India.

In New Delhi, where land is at a premium, unscrupulous builders add additional floors to existing structures often flouting building laws.