MOHALI: The death toll in the tragic building collapse in Mohali, Punjab, on Saturday has risen to two, with a 28-year-old man from Ambala, who had been rescued from the rubble, being declared dead in the hospital on Sunday.
Abhishek Dhanwal, 28, was pronounced dead at the hospital, confirmed officiating Mohali Deputy Commissioner Viraj Tidke. Earlier, 20-year-old Drishti Verma from Theog, Himachal Pradesh, had succumbed to her injuries late Saturday night. She had been in critical condition when she was rescued from the debris.
A magisterial probe into the incident has been ordered, with a report expected within three weeks. Meanwhile, the police have booked the owners of the building for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The case has been filed against Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh under Section 105 of the Building and Non-Residential Structures (BNS) Act, Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek confirmed on Saturday night. “The two will be arrested soon. We are investigating the role of the contractor and will take appropriate legal action,” he added.
According to sources, the collapse was likely caused by excavation work in the basement of a nearby building. “Water accumulated at the site due to damage to a sewerage pipeline, seeping into the foundation of the five-storey building. This weakened the structure, causing it to tilt initially and then collapse,” the sources said.
In response to the incident, Mohali Municipal Commissioner T. Benith stated that notices have been issued to buildings constructed beyond the permissible limits in the Sohana area, where the collapse occurred. These buildings have been instructed to submit No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other required permissions.
A large-scale rescue operation, involving personnel from the NDRF, Army, BSF, and Mohali police, continued for over 23 hours. “The operation was completed on Sunday. NDRF confirmed that no more people were trapped under the debris, and the operation was officially called off,” Deputy Commissioner Tidke said.
