Surat building collapse: Death toll rises to 7
Surat (PTI): The death toll in the collapse of a six-storey building in Gujarat's Surat city has gone up to seven with the recovery of six more bodies overnight, police said on Sunday.
The residential building, located in Pal area, collapsed at around 2.45 pm on Saturday.
While a woman was rescued soon after the collapse, the body of a man was pulled out on Saturday night, an official earlier said.
Rescue teams later pulled out six more bodies from the debris, according to police.
Seven bodies have been recovered in the operation that continued through the night, Sachin GIDC police station inspector Jignesh Chaudhari said.
After the incident, the rescue operation was launched with the help of teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local fire department.
A woman rescued soon after the building collapse was rushed to a hospital where she was undergoing treatment, Chaudhari said.
"While the operation to remove the rubble continues, we do not think there is anyone else trapped inside," he said.
The building was constructed in 2016-17, Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said on Saturday.
Around five flats were occupied, mostly by those who work in factories in the area, he said.
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Hundreds protest in Bengaluru against Israel's actions in Palestine amid flag hoisting restrictions
Bengaluru: Approximately 600 people from various parts of Karnataka gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday to protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and the recent bombings in Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and Syria. The protestors called on both the Indian and Karnataka governments to sever ties with Israel and denounced what they termed as complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.
The protest, organized by Bengaluru for Peace and Justice, saw participation from citizens, student activist groups, women’s rights organizations, farmers’ associations, and trade unions. The demonstrators highlighted the staggering humanitarian toll in Palestine, with an estimated 1,86,000 Palestinians killed, including over 16,500 children, and more than 2.3 million people displaced from their homes.
Aishwarya R. from PUCL-K pointed out that the Bengaluru police had threatened to file FIRs against anyone hoisting the Palestinian flag. “The Israeli government banned the Palestinian flag and even the watermelon, as it contains the colors of the flag, turning it into a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Today, we distribute watermelons here as a response to the threats we received,” she said.
Addressing the gathering, Sachin from AISA spoke about imperialism's role in the ongoing conflicts, pointing to Israel’s attacks on multiple Middle Eastern countries. “Despite the devastating loss of lives, Palestinians continue to resist. The Karnataka Police’s fear of the Palestinian flag only exposes their support for a genocidal state,” he remarked.
Shrilakshmi from Students for People’s Democracy expressed concern over the attacks on educational institutions in Gaza and called for increased student solidarity. “The Indian government has clamped down on voices of solidarity across universities in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru,” she said.
Other speakers echoed similar sentiments, condemning India’s military collaborations with Israel and urging the government to take a stronger stance against the ongoing violence. Prakash from CPI(M) criticized the shift in India’s policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing India’s increased military cooperation with Israel, including the controversial Pegasus spyware deal.
Yusuf Kanni from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Karnataka condemned the widespread loss of lives and humanitarian crises faced by Palestinians and neighboring countries. He called for a complete academic and cultural boycott of all state-run Israeli institutions.
Representatives of the protest group issued a set of demands, including a complete embargo on Israel akin to India’s boycott of apartheid South Africa, the withdrawal of Indian workers from Israel, and an end to all military and surveillance technology collaborations with Israeli companies.
The protestors called for an immediate cessation of ties with Israeli institutions, termination of training programs involving Indian police and security forces, and an end to joint operations.
