Raigad building collapse: 4-year-old rescued from rubble after 15 hrs

4-year-old Mohammed Bhabgi rescued by NDRF personnel

A 4-year-old boy was rescued from under the debris of a five-storied residential building which collapsed on Monday evening. The child, identified as Mohammed Bhabgi, was rescued after nearly 15 hours of rescue operations on Tuesday.

Eleven persons were killed and several others are still trapped in the rubble.

With rescue operations in full swing in the huge mound of rubble of the erstwhile Tarique Garden, at least seven more injured victims were found in addition to more than 25 others rescued on Monday night.

Raigad Building Collapse: 2 Dead, 18 Feared Trapped; 25 Rescued

Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a detailed probe into the incident and the government has identified at least six persons who are being booked for the tragedy. They include the builder, the architect, the RCC consultant, the contractor, the then CEO of the civic body, the chief engineer, etc.

A team of Mahad Police has left for Mumbai to arrest the builder and contractor who constructed it besides taking action against others involved in it.

Teams from the NDRF, Raigad Police, Fire Brigade and other NGOs were involved in the rescue work assisted by a dog squad to sniff out the victims trapped underneath.

The residential building -- Tarique Garden in Kajalpura area of the town -- with around 45 flats and over 100 residents, suddenly came crashing down on Monday around 6 pm, in the Mahad town, some 170 kms south of Mumbai.

Raigad Building Collapse: 64-Year-Old Man Searches For Daughter, Three Grandkids

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the building collapse and also prayed for speedy recovery of the injured. He said that local authorities and NDRF are on the spot providing all possible assistance.

"Saddened by the building collapse... My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their dear ones. I pray the injured recover soon. Local authorities and NDRF teams are at the site of the tragedy, providing all possible assistance," Modi tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he was disturbed by the Raigad building crash and sympathised with the families of the victims.

"I appeal to the Maharashtra government to rush help to the victims and those trapped. Congress workers should also help in the rescue works," tweeted Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

The building, said to be a little more than six years old, was constructed by two Mumbai-based realtors.

(With inputs from agencies and Vinod Kumar Menon)

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