Chandigarh: Five rescued, two feared trapped in building collapse (Lead)

Chandigarh, July 4 (IANS) Five people have been rescued, and two are feared trapped after a two-storey old building collapsed in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area Phase-2 on Saturday evening, prompting the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with police and fire brigade teams.

This is the second building collapse in the city in less than 24 hours.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (South) Gurjit Kaur told the media that rescue operations are continuing and efforts are underway to rescue two people trapped under the debris.

Officials said the building was used by a scrap dealer.

Fire and emergency services teams reached the spot within minutes of receiving the alert and launched a coordinated rescue operation in collaboration with the local police and municipal authorities.

Sniffer dogs have been deployed to help locate any survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

Ambulances remain on standby at the site to provide immediate medical assistance to anyone rescued.

A day earlier, the roof of the auditorium at Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET) in Sector 26 collapsed. Fortunately, no one was inside the auditorium at the time of the incident.

The auditorium is a key government facility where vote count is conducted during elections.

The Engineering Department had earlier assessed the structure of CCET College and declared it unsafe, ensuring that it remained unoccupied.

Following a detailed structural safety audit, the department sought further advice on structural stability and safety from Punjab Engineering College (PEC) as part of the prescribed procedure.

The department had also begun demolishing the unsafe structure.

Residents and business owners in the area have expressed alarm over the deteriorating condition of several structures, many of which were constructed decades ago without adequate maintenance or periodic structural audits.

–IANS

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