Three dead, several trapped as building collapses in Delhi suburb

A six-storey building collapsed in Greater Noida near New Delhi Tuesday night, killing at least three people, as rescuers searched for more people feared trapped in the rubble.

The National Disaster Response Force or NDRF retrieved the bodies of one woman and two men from the rubble of the collapsed building, the Indian Express reported. The identity of the deceased is yet to be established.

Several other persons are feared to be trapped under the rubble and are yet to be located. NDRF and local police are engaged in the relief and rescue efforts. The building is reported to have collapsed at around 08:45pm Tuesday.

Chief Fire Officer Arun Kumar Singh was quoted as saying that at least 12 workers were inside the building at the time of the incident and all of them are suspected to be trapped.

Four NDRF teams are involved in search and rescue operations at the site of the collapse.

About 100 people were involved in the night long rescue effort using cranes to clear the rubble, officials said.

Greater Noida is one of a cluster of areas that have sprung up around the Indian capital over the last decade, home to scores of residential and commercial blocks, many of them unfinished structures for lack of funds or approvals from the state local authorities.

Three persons, including builder and his two associates, have been arrested on Wednesday in connection with the building collapse.

“Our thoughts are with the families of those who died in the incident,” KP Maurya,Deputy CM told ANI.