Surat building collapse kills 7, bodies pulled out of debris overnight

The residential building, which had 30 apartments and five were occupied, collapsed in Sachin Pali village amid incessant rains over the last few days.

"The search operation continued throughout the night. Seven dead bodies have been recovered," Chief Fire Officer, Basant Pareek told news agency ANI. The seventh body was pulled out at 6 am, he added.

While the search operation continues, rescuers believe no more residents are trapped under the debris.

On Saturday, a woman was rescued from under the debris, while 15 others were injured when the building came crashing down at around 2.45 pm, officials said.

Horrifying visuals from the scene showed the remnants of the building, constructed only eight years ago, with large concrete slabs piled in a heap of debris.

Rescuers worked overnight to remove large concrete slabs that formed a mountain of debris at the site. NDRF and SDRF workers cut through the concrete to reach the trapped residents.

The building, constructed in 2017, housed five families when it collapsed. According to police, several residents were at work when the collapse occurred but many others, who worked night shifts, were sleeping inside.

Locals said chaos erupted after the sudden collapse on Saturday.

The locals rushed to save anyone they could from under the debris. While the building was only eight years old, most flats were vacant and dilapidated, officials said.