Dharwad: Death toll in building collapse touches 3, 56 rescued
Bengaluru, Mar 20: The death toll in the building collapse at Dharwad in north Karnataka touched three Wednesday with one more body being pulled out of the rubble, police said.
Rescuers have so far pulled out 56 people from the debris of the four-storeyed under construction building, which collapsed Tuesday evening at Kumareshwar Nagar in the heart of Dharwad, about 400 km from here.
Police said rescue operations have been intensified to extricate 30 people believed to be still trapped beneath the debris.
In addition to 10 ambulances and five fire tenders deployed for relief and rescue operations, three teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been pressed into service, two from Ghaziabad and one from Bengaluru.
"Two more teams of #NDRF are being airlifted from Ghaziabad in addition to one team which was moved from Bangalore in connection with Dharwad building collapse," the NDRF tweeted.
About 150 police, fire and emergency personnel too have joined the rescue operations.
No arrests have been made so far
Former Karnataka minister and Congress leader from the region Vinay Kulkarni had said Tuesday that one of the partners in the building was his relative and that whoever was involved should face action.
An eye-witness had alleged that the building did not have the capacity to bear four storeys whereas an extra floor was being added.
"The builders had used substandard materials," he told reporters Tuesday.
Most of those trapped were migrant labourers from north India who were engaged in laying tiles.
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Congress’ Umesh Meti wins Bagalkot bypoll
Bagalkot: The Congress has secured a victory in the Bagalkot Assembly by-election, with its candidate Umesh Meti winning the seat after maintaining a lead from the first round of counting till the end.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of sitting MLA H Y Meti. Umesh Meti, his son, has now been elected to the Assembly.
Party leaders attributed the victory to a combination of factors, including sympathy votes, the state government’s schemes, and campaign strategies led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior leader Satish Jarkiholi.
The Congress maintained a consistent lead throughout the counting process, eventually securing a decisive win in the constituency.
