Eight killed, many feared trapped as two buildings collapse in Greater Noida; four arrested

Noida: At least eight persons were killed and several others trapped under the debris as two adjacent buildings collapsed in Greater Noida, officials said on Wednesday.

A six-storey under-construction building fell on an adjacent building in Shah Beri village under the Bisrakh police station Tuesday night. The second building also collapsed under the impact.

At least 12 labourers were in the under-construction building on the outskirts of Delhi when the incident took place, and all of them were feared trapped, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Arun Kumar Singh said.

Two bodies were pulled out of the rubble late Tuesday night, while another body was pulled out Wednesday morning, he added as the rescue operations continued into the day.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said.

"Four people have been arrested, and an investigation is underway. Both criminal and administrative aspects will be investigated. I have set up a magisterial inquiry under ADM executive and have given them the time of 15 days," District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh told reporters.

Inspector General of Police, Meerut Zone, Ram Kumar said the owner of the land, Gangashankar Dwivedi, and others have been arrested.

Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were assisting the police personnel and firefighters in the rescue operations, the CFO said.

Those involved in the rescue operations were facing difficulties because of the narrow lanes in the area and a massive crowd that had gathered there, he added.

Drills are being used to remove metal rods to reach those trapped under the debris, and a dog squad has also been pressed into service.

Director General, NDRF, Sanjay Kumar, who rushed to the spot, said that they were exercising caution while operating the machines so that those trapped under the debris were not harmed. This was leading to the delay, he said.

Kumar added that the rescue operations were expected to be over by Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Gautam Budh Nagar DM to monitor the relief-and-rescue operations.