Mathura, Jun 15 (PTI): Three people, including two minor sisters, were killed when a multi-storey building collapsed during excavation work on Sunday in the congested Kachchi Sadak area here, officials said.

One person was pulled out from the debris. Rescuers are still searching for survivors, they said.

District Magistrate (DM) Chandra Prakash Singh said the building was located on a mound. The rescue operation is underway to make sure that no one else is buried under the rubble.

He said Totaram (38) and two sisters -- Yashoda (6) and Kavya (3) -- were killed in the incident.

The immediate priority is to complete the rescue work. Later, an investigation will be launched into the cause of the incident and the culprits will be punished, Singh said after inspecting the site.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar said one person was earlier rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital. The person is currently under observation and is stable.

"Some individuals unauthorisedly started digging near the multi-storey house (likely two or three storeys) using a JCB machine to vacate the plot for sale, and that is why this incident occurred," the SSP said.

He said municipal officials found that most of the collapsed houses were partially built with mud and bricks.

"The rescue operation is underway. Teams from fire services, municipal corporation, civil defence and police are currently on the site.

"Additionally, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams have been called in to assist with the rescue efforts," Kumar said.

Authorities anticipate that five to six nearby houses may also have sustained partial damage due to the collapse.

Mathura MLA Shrikant Sharma, who reached the spot, attributed the incident to a "mafia operation".

"I will demand a high-level inquiry from the chief minister into this," he said.

"Local residents informed me that some mafia was carrying out work here. Who gave them the permission to excavate, on what basis and how? All this can only be revealed through a high-level inquiry," he said.

"That is why I will write to the chief minister requesting a high-level investigation. Only then can the culprits be identified and it will be ensured that they receive the strictest punishment," he added.