The death toll in Tuesday’s Dharwad building collapse mounted to seven with two more bodies being found from the debris, a district official said. “As many as 61 people have been rescued and more than 10 are still missing,” Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Deepa Cholan said on Wednesday night. She said seven people have been killed in the incident.
On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force airlifted two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to Karnataka’s Hubli from Hindon in Uttar Pradesh to join the rescue and search operation after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad.
The operation is being conducted jointly by NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Meanwhile, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said rescue efforts were being conducted on a war footing and urged locals not to panic. Earlier on Wednesday, Karnataka Revenue Minister RV Deshpande said that the government will initiate an inquiry and those injured will be treated free of cost.