Himachal woman dies in Mohali building collapse, several still trapped

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Dec 22, 2024: A 20-year-old woman from Himachal Pradesh has been killed after a four-storey building collapsed in Punjab’s Mohali district on Saturday.

The victim, identified as Drishti Verma from Theog, was rescued from the rubble in critical condition and was rushed to Sohana Hospital but died of her injuries, officials said.

At least five people are said to be trapped in the rubble. Teams of the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Team (NDRF) are engaged in the rescue operation.

Preliminary information suggests the building, which also had a gym, collapsed due to digging in an adjacent plot. Police said they have filed a case against the building owners -- Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh - under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with the punishment for culpable homicide that doesn’t amount to murder.

Officials said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been monitoring the situation over the phone.