Rescue crews work to free survivors from the debris after two buildings collapsed in India early Wednesday morning. (Indian Express)
At least 11 people are dead after two adjacent apartment buildings in western India collapsed early Wednesday, reports CTV News.
The 11 bodies and four badly burned people were pulled the the debris after the three-story buildings fell in Vadodara around 4:30 a.m. According to police officer Bhanu Pratap Parmar, most of the occupants of the first building were sleeping when it collapsed. The second building was evacuated just minutes before it came down.
More than 250 rescue workers scrambled to clear debris and rescue survivors stuck under the rubble.
The 12-year-old buildings were part of a housing complex set up by the state-owned Vadodara Urban Development Authority.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, but officials say recent heavy rain may have weakened the buildings’ structural foundations. Building collapses, however, are common in India where builders often cut corners to save time and money. Investigators are investigating the the cause.
