Death toll in Mohali building collapse at two; rescue op ends

The toll in the Mohali building collapse mounted to two with the recovery of the body of a 30-year-old man from the rubble on Dec 22 morning, officials said.

The victim has been identified as Ambala resident Abhishek Dhanwal, who worked with an IT firm.

The body of Drishti Verma (20), a native of Theog town was recovered from the site on Dec 21. Drishti was an employee working with a private firm in Mohali. The multi-story building collapsed on Dec 21 evening at Sohana village in Mohali district.

Police have arrested two building owners on a charge of culpable homicide, officials were quoted as saying. Digging work was being carried out on the adjoining plot when the structure collapsed, they said.

Municipal Corporation officials were quoted as saying no permission was taken for the digging work.

The hours-long rescue operations were called off on Dec 22 evening.

Officiating Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke was quoted as saying that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had confirmed that there was no more possibility of any person being trapped under the debris.

Besides the NDRF, the administration and the Army were involved in the rescue operations. At least 600 personnel, including 140 NDRF team members, 167 from the Army’s 57 Engineers Regiment, and 300 from the police and allied departments, were involved in the operations.

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident. Mohali Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Damandeep Kaur tasked with the investigation has been asked to submit the report within three weeks, an official was quoted as saying.

“The police have arrested building owner Parwinder Singh and booked co-owner Gagandeep Singh, both residents of Chao Majra, on a charge of culpable homicide,” Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek was quoted as saying.

The building had a gym in the basement and the ground floor, and PG accommodation on the two upper floors, a police official was quoted as saying, adding that digging work was being carried out by the building owners on the adjoining plot for construction when the structure collapsed around 4.30 pm on Dec 21.