Surat building collapse: Death toll rises to 7

New Delhi, July 7: At least seven bodies were recovered from the rubble a day after a six-storey building collapsed in Gujarat's Surat, officials said on Sunday.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon in Sachin Pali village amid incessant rain over the last few days.

The residential building had 30 apartments and five were occupied.

Chief Fire Officer, Basant Pareek has said that the search operation continued throughout the night and seven bodies have been recovered.

Earlier, an official had said that a woman was rescued. He said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with emergency responders, including police and Fire Department personnel, were at the spot.

An official of the Fire Department said that many labourers, working night shifts, were sleeping in their rooms when the building collapsed.

“This building needed repair but no one paid attention to it, which will be investigated. As of now, our focus is to rescue the people,” he said. The building, despite its relatively recent construction, was reportedly in poor condition with many of its flats unoccupied.