Ambala building collapse kills four, injures nine; rescue teams search rubble for workers feared trapped

Ambala: Four labourers were killed and nine others injured after a three-storey under-construction building partially collapsed in the Dhulkot area of Ambala City on Sunday afternoon, officials said. Several workers were feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continued into the night.

The incident took place at around 3 pm while workers were casting the concrete roof slab, or lintel, on the third floor of the building. The structure partially collapsed, trapping workers underneath the debris.

According to The Tribune, around 35 to 40 labourers were reportedly working at the site when the collapse occurred.

Another account cited by officials said workers were working on different levels of the building.

Locals were among the first to reach the site and begin rescue efforts. Police, fire services and district administration teams subsequently joined the operation.

The administration deployed heavy earth-moving machinery, while National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were brought in to search for workers who may have remained trapped.

Four workers killed, nine injured

Thirteen people were rescued from the debris and taken to Ambala Civil Hospital, according to The Tribune. Four of them were declared dead, while nine injured workers were admitted for treatment.

The deceased were identified as Rajinder Kumar, 50, from Sonta village in Ambala district; Kalia Ram, 48, from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh; Shastri Ram, 50, from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh; and Roop Singh, 55, from Dangdera village in Lalru, Punjab.

The injured workers included Phoolan Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Ved Prakash, Brijesh, Rupesh, Rajesh Kumar, Mantosh Singh, Ram Gopal and another Rajesh Kumar, according to the same report.

At the time of the latest reports, the possibility of additional workers being trapped under the rubble had not been ruled out.

Ambala SP Ajit Singh Shekhawat said rescuers had located two or more people and were attempting to reach them.

Cause of collapse yet to be established

Authorities have not yet established the cause of the building collapse.

Police said an investigation into the structural failure, construction practices and relevant approvals would be undertaken after the rescue operation.

Shekhawat said the top, middle and first floors of the structure had partially collapsed and that more workers were suspected to be trapped. He said the rescue operation would continue overnight.

Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta said officials were collecting details relating to the land, building and ownership.

Authorities are also examining whether there were any lapses in the construction process and whether the required approvals were in place.

The question of whether the building had received approval from the Ambala City Municipal Corporation remained unresolved in the latest reports. Police said appropriate legal action would follow if negligence or unauthorised construction was established.

Some reports identified the site as a showroom or commercial project and named local property dealer Hardeep Singh Jaggi in connection with its ownership.

However, officials were still collecting and verifying the ownership and construction documents, so those details should be treated as reported claims rather than an established finding at this stage.

Rescue teams continued clearing the debris with heavy machinery while searching for anyone who could still be trapped inside the collapsed structure.