4 dead as building housing HRTC office collapses
SHIMLA : Four people were killed and five injured when an old building collapsed in Theog, 30km from Shimla, on Friday afternoon. Many people are feared to be trapped in the debris of the two-storey building that housed a booking office of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).
After preliminary rescue operations by the district administration, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was called in to clear the debris as the administration feared that more people could be trapped in. The rescue operation continued till late Friday evening.
Although the building was one of the oldest in the market, it was not declared unsafe.
Locals said more people could be trapped because many were taking shelter in the building from rain when it collapsed.
Of the four bodies that were recovered by Friday evening, one was been identified as Rohan Lal, a booking clerk of HRTC. The five injured were referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla.
Deputy commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur said a magisterial probe has been ordered into the accident.
“We have called in the NDRF to carry forward the rescue operation. We don’t want to take any chance as there may be people trapped in the debris,” he said.
The cause of the accident could not be ascertained but officers present on the spot said heavy rains could be a possible reason.
On Friday, light to moderate rains lashed several parts of the state. Shimla received 41mm rainfall, Sundernagar 26mm, Dharamsala 70mm, Manali 21mm and Solan 55 mm rainfall.
Meanwhile, the MeT department has predicted more rains across the state till August 9. “Rains are likely to continue across the state in next 48 hours. There is possibility of moderate rainfall in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra district,” Shimla MeT director Manmohan Singh said.
₹5 LAKH, JOB FOR FAMILIES OF DECEASED
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh mourned the death of the four people killed in the accident and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.
Transport minister GS Bali announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each to the family members of the deceased.
He said one member of each family will be hired as transport multi-purpose assistant by the government.