At least 7 dead after six-storey building collapses in Gujarat's Surat

building collapsed

Officials reported on Sunday that seven bodies were recovered from the debris a day after a six-story building in Surat collapsed. The residential building in Sachin Pali village had 30 apartments, five occupied. The collapse occurred amid continuous heavy rains over the past few days. The seventh body was recovered at 6 a.m. on Sunday (July 7).

A woman was rescued from beneath the debris, and 15 others were injured when the building collapsed around 2:45 p.m on Saturday. 

The ill-fated building, erected in 2017, was home to five families at its collapse. According to authorities, some residents were fortunate enough to be away at work when the disaster struck, but others, who worked night shifts, were tragically caught asleep inside their homes.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of utter chaos following the sudden collapse of the building on Saturday, as locals rushed to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble. Despite being relatively new, having been built just eight years prior, the structure was largely abandoned and in disrepair, with most apartments standing vacant and decrepit, according to officials.