Building under construction collapses, killing at least 14

Originally published on January 5, 2014

A building under construction in the western Indian state of Goa collapsed on Saturday, killing at least 14 people.

A witness told AFP that the three-storey building, which was located in a coastal village in Canacona, collapsed like "a pack of cards" around mid-afternoon. About 50 workers were working at the project site.

At least 14 people were killed, but the death toll was likely to rise as the rescue mission was still underway. The Times of India reported that more than 18 people were trapped under the debris.

"The current priority is to rescue people trapped under the rubble and the government has also taken help of the army to clear the debris," Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar said.

Two units of the Indian Army, from Margao and Bambolim respectively, assisted the operation. The National Disaster Management Response Force would also participate in the rescue effort.

Consisting of six buildings, the complex was constructed by Bharat Developers, a real estate firm based in Mumbai.

"We will immediately arrest the builder, the contractor and municipal officials involved in sanctioning this construction site," Parrikar said. Police have already issued complaints against people involved in the construction.

The cause of the collapse is unknown. However, incidents like this are prevalent in the populous country, where building regulations are lax and corruptions rampant. According to the Guardian, 2,651 people were killed across India last year as 2,737 structures - including houses and bridges - collapsed.

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