Six killed in building collapse in Hyderabad

Six persons were killed and few others remained trapped under the rubble as an under-construction building adjoining a school collapsed at the busy Narayanaguda locality in Hyderabad today.

Hyderabad city police commissioner AK Khan, who was supervising the rescue operation, said six bodies were recovered and efforts were on to save those remained trapped.

Some construction work was going on when the five-storeyed building crashed and the victims were mostly labourers involved in construction activity, he said.

"It seems about 8-10 persons were there at the site when the building collapsed," he said.

Police and fire personnel besides locals were carrying out the rescue efforts, clearing the debris with the help of cranes, JCB machines and gas-cutters.

Khan said students and teachers in the school building have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

"Top priority now is to conduct the rescue operation. The owner of the building appears to have run away following the incident. Once the rescue work is over we will nab the owner," Khan said.

Meanwhile, state Municipal administration minister A Ramanarayana Reddy said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and any violation found in the construction work would be dealt with sternly.

According to a worker, at least 16 labourers including five women and some electricians were at the site when the mishap occurred.