India building collapse: 'Scores trapped' in Chennai

More than 100 people are still feared trapped after a building collapsed in southern India, an official has said.

At least nine people died and several were hurt when the 12-storey building under construction toppled in Chennai in heavy rain late on Saturday.

Hours earlier, a four-storey building came down in the capital Delhi, killing 10 people, including five children.

India has seen frequent building collapses, many blamed on lax safety and substandard materials.

At least two construction company officials have been arrested in connection with the collapse in Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Rescue teams with cutters and shovels are continuing to search for survivors.

"There are approximately 132 labourers who are under the debris and approximately 100 of them belong to southern Andhra Pradesh province," joint collector Rekha Rani told Reuters news agency.

At least 26 people have so far been rescued. It is not clear whether Mr Rani was speaking before the rescues took place.

A police investigation has also been launched.
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By Yogita Limaye, BBC News, Mumbai

Building collapses have become an almost common occurrence in India, with numerous such accidents taking place across large cities over the past year. The latest incidents have once again put the spotlight on the need for better regulation of construction in the country.

While some collapses have occurred because poor quality material was used, others, have been because the buildings were simply too old and residents refused to leave despite them being labelled as dangerous to live in.

Corruption is also a factor, because in many cases, changes to the building's structure - such as adding extra floors, or breaking down walls, which might make it vulnerable - are permitted by authorities that have been found to have accepted bribes.

Soaring property prices in Indian cities have also meant that finding a flat that fits your budget is so hard, that people very often tend to compromise on safety.

In pictures: India building collapses
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Police said larger pieces of rubble would have to be moved before rescuers could search for more survivors.

Fire service official Vijay Shekar told the Times of India newspaper that it could take two days to reach the ground floor of the building, adding that it would be a "massive operation".

While the cause of the latest collapse is still under investigation, a lack of construction codes, leading to lax safety, is one reason for frequent collapses of buildings and other infrastructure projects in India.

There is also a high demand for housing, pushing up costs and forcing less affluent people to risk their lives in decrepit or badly constructed buildings.

In January, at least 14 people died when a building under construction came crashing down in the western state of Goa.

At least 42 people died after a four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai last September.






http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28076572

Those poor people, what a horrible thing to die because somebody decided cutting a few corners would be better for profits.

Its always the same for poor people around the world.................

Yep, it seems nearly every time there is anything horrible happening, it's happening to the poor.

Disgusting that buildings should be so inadequately constructed!
Those poor people!

 

Poor regulations...
Shoddy constructions..
Greed-fuelled developers and landlords.

AND this is exactly what the big corporations have planned for our countries at this very moment ~ you only have to look at current "conservative" government economic rationalist policies..

Re:  "Free Trade agreements"; alongside cuts to welfare, health, education, minimum wages, OH&S, environmental safeguards, "corporate responsibility"; where big businesses now have the gall to claim that their only responsibility is in increased returns to shareholders.

SHOWING us all the true (hidden) meaning of that "Trickle Down Theory" so beloved by the Reaganomics and Thatcherisms true believers during the 1980s : 'The true costs of big business endavours flows on down to the ordinary people, while the rich bosses keep on pocketing all of the profits, assets and remaining wealth.'    

And all the while, "lemming like" the citizenry keeps on voting back in the same stale old politicians !