Bengaluru Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises To 5, 13 Rescued; Dog Squad Deployed

At least five people were killed after a building collapsed in Bengaluru's Horamavu Agara area on Tuesday afternoon. Rescue efforts are ongoing to recover those trapped under the debris, as heavy rains continue to lash the city. So far, 13 people have been rescued.

The deceased are identified as Harman (26), Tripal (35), Mohd Sahil (19), Sathya Raju (25), and Shankar. They are all from Bihar. The injured individuals have been identified as Jagadevi (45), Rasheed (28), Nagaraju (25), Ramesh Kumar (28), Harman (22), and Ayaj. Five of the injured are receiving treatment at Bengaluru North Hospital, while one is at Hosmat Hospital. In total, seven others have been rescued, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to 13.

One of the survivors, a man from Bihar named Ayaaz, was the latest to be pulled out alive from the rubble. Another labourer, Vakeel Pasawn, managed to escape by jumping off the collapsing structure.

Vakeel, speaking to ANI, described the terrifying moment: "Of the four of us, three managed to get out. The fourth one got stuck... I was working on the 6th floor as a labourer. We were having lunch when we heard a loud sound and the building started shaking."

An eyewitness, Mehfoos, also shared his account: "We were on a lunch break around 1:00 pm when the building suddenly started shaking. A man working inside died on the spot."

Rescue teams, including dog squads, have been deployed to search for people feared trapped inside the remains of the seven-story building.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the site late Tuesday night. He confirmed that the collapsed structure was an illegal building and promised strict action against those responsible.

"The search for others is ongoing. Once the rescue operation is completed, we will take appropriate action. NDRF, SDRF, fire brigade, and police have all done commendable work. I have ordered action against the owners of illegally constructed buildings in Bengaluru. This incident is a wake-up call. We will make it mandatory to obtain proper building permits, and a team will be deployed to monitor ongoing construction projects to prevent such tragedies," Shivakumar said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Around 21 people were in the building at the time of the incident, said the Deputy CM.