Building caves in India’s capital, kills 4

At least four people have been killed and several others injured in a building collapse in India.

The collapse occurred late on Saturday when a four-storey building in the Indian capital, New Delhi, caved in.

“Four people are confirmed dead and eight have been injured,” said Dependra Pathak, a senior New Delhi police official, adding, “But right now rescue teams are trying to find a small child feared still trapped in there.”

The police official further blamed the deadly collapse on flawed drainage repair work in the neighborhood as well as rain.

The violation of construction norms and “natural wear and tear” were also other factors behind the incident, Pathak said.

“These buildings are really old and built by local, unqualified guys without any proper checks,” he said.

An investigation has been ordered into the collapse.

Building collapses are frequent in India as developers use substandard materials or add unauthorized floors. High housing demand and lax regulations have resulted in the construction of multi-storey buildings without adequate supervision.

Back in February, at least 13 people died in their sleep after a newly built house in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh collapsed.

Another 11-storey apartment tower that was under construction in Tamil Nadu crashed last July following heavy rain, taking 61 lives.