Noida: Three persons were arrested for the collapse of two buildings in Greater Noida on Tuesday night, killing at least three persons and trapping several others under the debris, police said.
A six-storey under-construction building fell on an adjacent building in Shah Beri village under the Bisrakh police station on Tuesday night. The second building also collapsed under the impact.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, a spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said in Lucknow.
At least 12 labourers were in the under-construction building when the incident took place and all of them were feared trapped, Arun Kumar Singh, Chief Fire Officer said.
He added that while two bodies were pulled out of the rubble late on Tuesday night, another body was pulled out on Wednesday morning.
Brajesh Narayan Singh, Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate ordered a probe, seeking a report within 15 days.
”A magisterial probe has been ordered into the reasons behind the incident. Additional District Magistrate (administration) Kumar Vineet has been asked to carry out the probe. He will submit his report within 15 days,” the order said.
Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force were assisting the police personnel and fire-fighters in the ongoing rescue operations, the CFO said.
Those involved in the rescue operations were facing difficulties because of the narrow lanes in the area and a huge crowd that had gathered there, he added.
Drills are being used to remove metal rods to reach those trapped under the debris and a dog squad has also been pressed into service.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate to monitor the relief-and-rescue operations.
O.P. Singh, Director General of Police had informed the chief minister about the rescue operations.
The spokesperson of the state government said the probe will ascertain whether both the buildings fell under the jurisdiction of the Greater Noida Authority and whether a no-objection certificate (NOC) was obtained before carrying out the construction.
It will also find out whether the quality of materials being used was up to the mark and whether the labourers at the construction site were registered in accordance with the labour laws.
The probe will fix responsibility for the incident and ascertain whether it could be classified as criminal negligence.
The DM, in his order, said the probe will also focus on whether the Greater Noida Authority had taken any concrete step to stop illegal construction in the area and if it had done so, what were the results.
An FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 388 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) were lodged at the Bisrakh police station against 18 persons in connection with the incident, the zonal Inspector General said.