Seven Dead, Multiple Trapped In Surat Building Collapse; Rescue Operations Underway

The death toll from the unfortunate collapse of a six-storey building in Surat has risen to seven as of Sunday morning (7 July), according to a report from The Indian Express.

“One woman has been saved. Seven dead bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem to the hospital,” stated Surat Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Rajesh Parmar.

The number of people still trapped remains uncertain, he added. The police also further asserted that the rescue operations by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have continued throughout the night and are still ongoing.

The building in Sachin, home to several textile workers and their families had collapsed on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 3 pm at D N Nagar society in Paligam.

Approximately five out of the 30 apartments in the building were occupied, according to Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Gehlot.

Most residents were factory workers from Sachin GIDC living there on rent. MLA Sandeep Desai has claimed that the laborers were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

According to the same report, the building is owned by Jay Desai, a Sachin resident currently on a tour in the US.