Chennai building collapse: Death toll rises to 55, Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa constitutes probe panel

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said on Thursday the toll in the building collapse near suburban Porur rose to 55 and ordered constituting a one-man commission headed by Justice (Retd) R Reghupathy, to probe the circumstances that led to the fatal mishap. "55 people have died in this unfortunate incident" Jayalalithaa said in a statement in Chennai.

She said the Justice Reghupathy Commission will probe the circumstances leading to the collapse of the under-construction eleven storeyed building. "The Commission will find out whose ignorant attitude resulted in such a mishap that left many workers dead and others injured and decide on (fixing) those responsible for it," she said.

The commission will also suggest remedial measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future, the chief minister said. She said her government would take further action based on the commission's report.

Jayalalithaa said 27 people have been pulled out alive from under the debris of the collapsed structure and have been receiving high quality medical treatment on her directions.

The chief minister recalled that she had visited the accident site besides consoling the survivors at the hospital where they were undergoing treatment. Her government had enhanced the relief to kin of deceased people to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 2 lakh even as Rs 50,000 were provided for the injured, she said.

"Police is taking legal action against those responsible for the incident," she said in an apparent reference to the arrest of six people including two owners and two engineers.