Rescue teams worked overnight in Rajasthan after a three-storey restaurant building collapsed in Kota on Saturday, killing two people and injuring several others.
Rescue operations are underway after a building collapsed in Kota on Saturday. People were afraid of being trapped.D The collapse happened around 9 pm in Talwandi area of Kotawhile staff and customers were present inside the restaurant operating from the building.
Authorities have confirmed that two victims – Aryan (20) and Laxman (15) – lost their lives in the incident, PTI news agency reported. Of the 15 rescued, 8 are currently hospitalized, while five have been released after first aid.
Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Hiralal Nagar said the incident will be investigated. “In total, 15 people were pulled out of the wreckage. Though two died, some of the injured were released after treatment. An inquiry will be ordered to confirm the incident, and further action will be taken,” he told reporters, according to PTI.
Eyewitnesses described the moments before the collapseA local shopkeeper, who runs a tea stall near the building, recounted the moments of the collapse, recalling how quickly the situation spiraled out of control.
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“While I was making tea, some stones stumbled into my shop. When I saw that the building was about to collapse… I was here, my father was here; luckily, there were no customers in my shop at the moment. Within seconds, I ran from the spot to save my life,” he told news agency ANI.
He added that “chaos soon ensued”, claiming that some people “died on the spot”, while “10-15 others were injured” and rescued by the public.
He also mentioned that there were no customers in his tea shop at the time of the incident.
Several residents of the area claimed to have heard an explosion before the building came down.
The victims were rushed to the hospitalState Education Minister Madan Dilawar, who was present at the scene, said around 15 people were inside the building when it collapsed. “Eight of them were dragged to the hospital in critical condition, one of them died on the way,” he confirmed.
Kota District Hospital CMHO Dr Narendra Nagar said one of the dead was a man in his 20s from West Bengal. “Eight people have been shifted here – five of them are critical, including a child. The condition of the remaining three is stable,” he said, adding that the youth from West Bengal succumbed to his injuries.
Investigation onDivisional Commissioner Anil Aggarwal pointed to the ongoing construction activity in the vicinity as a possible reason. Another building next to the collapsed structure was under construction for the past few days, officials said.
Kota Collector Piyush Samaria said the frequent vibrations of the construction work could weaken the old structure. “The construction of that building probably caused some frequent vibrations in this building which caused the damage. Initially, it was also quite old,” he said, adding that the exact cause would be determined after detailed examination and consultation with the municipal authorities.
