In Goa adjacent part of Ruby residency building which collapsed killing many workers started tilting in the morning and all rescue operations were stopped by afternoon. The hopes of the remaining victims have completely waned with this. The toll in the tragedy has remained at 17.Two days have elapsed since the collapse and a maximum of 12 people remain buried under the debris. In all 22 people have survived the incident and 16 people have sustained injuries.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in a press conference in Panaji said he took the decision to halt rescue work anticipating the risk to the life of rescuers. He said the building was given occupancy certificate by the municipal authority without structural stability certificated from a registered engineer. The builder, contractor supervisor against whom an FIR of culpable homicide is lodged are absconding. The chief Minister said the police are busy with mob control at the site and will go after the culprits from tomorrow.
Aid of two lakh rupees to the next of keen of each victim and Rs one lakh for those seriously injured has already been announced. A committee with an expert engineer and architect will be formed under a retired IAS officer to probe the causes of the incident and suggest measures, he said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition congress party in Goa has demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident and appealed the state government to provide immediate monetary aid to the injured migrant labourers.
AIR correspondent reports, the Goa Police have issued lookout notices against the builder and the contractor of the Ruby Residency housing complex in Cancona today.The chief Minister said the slabs of concrete roofs of the building are too compressed there is no chance of any survivor in the debris now.
Of the 17 dead bodies names of only three people could be ascertained so far and for most of the remaining migrant labourers their sole identity is their first name that too if some colleague has identified him. No one knows either the names of those who might be buried under the debris. Only information about them available is they might be at the maximum 12 in number. This has resulted in further aggravating the agony of this tragedy many fold. It has also exposed the negligence of the town planning and local authorities in full.
