Illegal Construction On 60/40 Land Is A Crime: DK Shivakumar On Bengaluru Building Collapse, Vows Tough Action

An under-construction building collapsed in Babusapalya, Bengaluru on Tuesday following heavy rains that lashed the city. Initial reports suggest that around 17 construction workers are feared to be trapped beneath the debris. Rescue operations are ongoing, and authorities are working tirelessly to locate and save those trapped.

So far, police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel have recovered three bodies from the site and managed to rescue three others. Efforts continue to reach the remaining trapped individuals. An official statement from the police department is still awaited.

The tragedy came to light when one of the injured workers managed to escape from the rubble and alerted authorities. Based on his account, police, fire services, and emergency teams rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale rescue operation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar were immediately informed about the incident. They personally contacted jurisdictional DCP Devaraj to get updates and were briefed on the details of the tragedy and the rescue efforts underway.

Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar visited the site of the collapse to inspect the situation firsthand. Speaking to the media, Shivakumar expressed his anger over the illegal construction practices that contributed to the disaster. "Today, I visited and inspected the site where three laborers died after the construction stage collapsed in Babusab Palya, Kammanahalli. It is a big crime to construct a building illegally on 60/40 land. The owner of the building was constructing without plan approval, and strict action will be taken against the culprits," he stated.

Shivakumar confirmed that three people had died, and 21 others were trapped under the debris at the time of the collapse. Of those, 14 have been rescued, with seven admitted to the hospital for treatment. The search for the remaining individuals continues, with rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire brigade, and police working around the clock.

Shivakumar emphasized the importance of completing the rescue operations before determining the next steps. "First, we will complete the rescue work, and then we will provide a suitable solution," he said. He commended the efforts of the rescue teams and promised action against those responsible for the illegal construction.

"This incident serves as a lesson for all of us," he added. "To prevent such tragedies from happening in the future, it will be made mandatory to obtain proper building permissions. A special team will be deployed to monitor the safety of buildings under construction."