Vellore building collapse: Rescue ops conclude, 1 dead, all accounted for

Rescue operations concluded at a collapsed building site in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. One person died and several were injured. An NDRF team rescued the last trapped individual. All victims are hospitalized and an inquiry has been initiated.

Overnight rescue operations at a collapsed building site in Vellore concluded in the early hours of Friday after emergency responders cleared the final debris and accounted for all trapped victims, leaving one dead and several others hospitalised.

Last Trapped Person Rescued

Following initial efforts that rescued 10 survivors, authorities intensified operations after receiving reports that one person remained trapped beneath the debris.

Meanwhile, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Arakkonam reached the spot and launched an intensive search operation using sniffer dogs to locate the trapped person under the collapsed structure.

After an extensive search, the one person who was trapped under the debris was rescued. The person was immediately shifted to a government hospital for treatment.

Investigation Launched, Debris Cleared

The rescued persons are currently undergoing treatment at various private and government hospitals in Vellore.

A special team has been formed to investigate the circumstances leading to the building collapse, and a detailed inquiry is underway.

The District Collector and the Superintendent of Police visited the spot and personally inspected the rescue and relief operations.

Following the rescue operation, the NDRF personnel, Fire and Rescue Services personnel and other teams undertook the task of clearing the debris and removing the damaged materials from the site. Four JCB machines were also deployed for the clearance operation. The debris-removal operation continued through the night and was completed at around 4 a.m. All the scattered and damaged materials from the collapsed building were subsequently cleared from the site.

Official Statements on Collapse

Officials on Thursday said one person died, and 10 others were rescued after the upper floor of an under-construction CSI church collapsed at Mandai Krishnapuram near Katpadi in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district.

Earlier, one person was reportedly trapped under the debris and rescue operations were underway on a war footing to rescue the individual, who was later located and rescued after an extensive search.

The rescued workers have been shifted to private and government hospitals in Vellore, where they are undergoing treatment.

Vellore District Collector Leela Alex reached the spot of the incident and took stock of the rescue operations following the collapse of the upper floor of the under-construction church.

The district administration initiated steps to ascertain the circumstances that led to the collapse. A team was formed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident, while police were directed to investigate the matter.

Vellore District Collector Leela Alex said, "A team has been formed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. The Police have been instructed to investigate the circumstances leading to the collapse."

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)