Toll rises to eight as seven more bodies recovered; owner, contractor held

BENGALURU: Seven more bodies were recovered during search and rescue operation after an under-construction building collapsed at Babusapalya here, taking the death toll to eight, the police said on Wednesday.

Teams from the fire and emergency department, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into rescue operations since the incident occurred during heavy downpour on Tuesday, they said.

"Bhuvan Reddy, son of Muniraja Reddy under whose name the building is being constructed and the contractor Muniyappa who was building it have been taken into custody," a senior police official said. "Permission was only for construction of a four-storey building but seven floors were being constructed," he said.

One body was recovered by the rescue team on Tuesday. "Seven more bodies have been recovered and six workers were injured," he said.