Building collapse: Mohali toll rises to 2, rescue ops called off

The toll in the Mohali building collapse climbed to two with the recovery of the body of a 30-year-old man from the rubble on Sunday. The victim has been identified as Ambala resident Abhishek Dhanwal, who worked with an IT firm.

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Yesterday, the body of Drishti Verma (20), a native of Theog, had been recovered from the site. Drishti was employed with a private firm in Mohali. The multi-storey building had collapsed on Saturday evening at Sohana village in Mohali district.

Two arrested

• 2 building owners arrested on a charge of culpable homicide
• Digging work was being carried out on the adjoining plot when the structure collapsed
• MC officials said no permission was taken for the digging work

The 23-hour-long rescue operations were called off on Sunday evening after officiating Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke said the NDRF had confirmed that there was no more possibility of any person being trapped under the debris. Besides the NDRF, the administration and the Army were involved in the rescue operations. A total of 600 personnel, including 140 NDRF team members, 167 from the Army’s 57 Engineers Regiment, 300 from the police and allied departments, were involved in the operations.

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident. Mohali Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Damandeep Kaur, who has been entrusted with the investigation, has been asked to submit the report within three weeks.

“The police have arrested building owner Parwinder Singh and booked co-owner Gagandeep Singh, both residents of Chao Majra, on a charge of culpable homicide,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek.

The building had a gym in the basement and the ground floor, PG accommodation on the two upper floors, said the police, adding that digging work was being carried out by the building owners on the adjoining plot for construction when the structure collapsed around 4.30 pm on Saturday.

Municipal Corporation officials said no prior permission had been taken for the digging work by the building owners.