The death toll in the Raigad building collapse incident rose to 12 on Tuesday, 25 August, a day after the five-storey building collapsed in the Maharashtra district.
Some others were still feared trapped in the debris, as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continued its rescue operations. Earlier, an NDRF official had said that they had rescued one child from the debris.
On Monday, the NDRF had said in a statement that the incident took place at 6:30 pm when the G+4 collapsed in Kajalpura area of Mahad Tehsil in District Raigad.
The residential building had around 45 flats where nearly 100 people lived, IANS reported.
Rs 5 Lakh Ex-Gratia Announced for Families of Deceased
Maharashtra Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each will be given to the families of the deceased, while financial assistance of upto Rs 50,000 will be provided to the injured.
"Those who lost their houses should also be given some help. Hence, we'll put this in front of the Cabinet tomorrow. We'll not spare people responsible for this collapse, they murdered innocent people. The quality of construction material is very poor...," he was quoted by ANI as saying.
Maharashtra Ministers Visit Site, Demand SIT Probe
Maharashtra ministers Aditi Tatkare and Eknath Shinde had visited the spot in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Thakare said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) must be constituted to probe the cause of the collapse.
“Injured are being treated and some are discharged. Those with serious injuries were taken to Mumbai for advanced treatment. The probe has begun. We want that a Special Investigation Team to be constituted,” she told ANI.
PM Offers Condolences
PM Modi took to Twitter to offer condolences to the families of the deceased and said that authorities are providing all necessary help.
“Saddened by the building collapse in Mahad, Raigad in Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their dear ones. I pray the injured recover soon. Local authorities and NDRF teams are at the site of the tragedy, providing all possible assistance,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
Amit Shah Calls Incident ‘Tragic’, Speaks to DG NDRF
Calling the incident “tragic”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that he had spoken to the director general of NDRF to provide all possible assistance. “Teams are on the way and will be assisting with the rescue operations as soon as possible, Praying for everyone’s safety,” he had tweeted.
(With inputs from ANI and IANS.)
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