Hyderabad, March 28 (IANS) The body of a second worker was retrieved from the debris of a collapsed building in Telangana’s Bhadrachalam town in the early hours of Friday.
Rescue teams retrieved the body of Padishala Upender Rao around 2.30 a.m., nearly 24 hours after the body of Kameshwar Rao was found under the rubble.
The body of Upender was shifted to the local Government Area Hospital for autopsy. With this, the rescue teams concluded their operation.
The under-construction ground-plus-five-story building in the town in Bhadradri Kothagudem district collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, trapping two construction workers.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), fire services department and police participated in the rescue operation.
Kameshwar Rao was rescued around 2.30 a.m. on Thursday. He was then transferred to Government Area Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment.
The under-construction building at Super Bazaar Centre in the temple down collapsed due to an alleged structural fault.
District Collector Jitesh Patil, Superintendent of Police B. Rohith Raju and other senior officials supervised the rescue operation.
The building was being built by one Srinivas Moula, also known as Sri Pathi, who runs a trust. He had built a temple on the ground floor while five additional floors were under construction.
The structure suddenly collapsed on Wednesday when two workers were working on the ground floor. Eyewitnesses said they heard cries from beneath the rubble for some time after the collapse.
The builder, who has become a seer, had been carrying out the construction for nearly two years without obtaining the necessary permissions. He had reportedly obtained permission for two floors but laid slabs for five floors.
Locals said the authorities concerned failed to act despite complaints. The residents in the vicinity had raised objections, pointing out that the site lacked proper ground support for a high-rise structure in such a small space.
Police registered a case against Sri Pathi and arrested him.
–IANS
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