Surat, Aug 03: Ten persons were killed and at least 33 others injured when a three-storey residential building collapsed following a powerful blast, leading to two adjoining buildings caving-in due to its impact in the textile city early today, police said. Police suspect LPG cylinders could have exploded at 3.25 am on the ground floor of the building having a diamond unit, using cylinders to ignite furnaces.
Another possibility being probed was whether sub-standard material was used in the construction of the buildings that could have triggered the collapse after the blast, police said. The impact of the explosion in Mini Saurashtra Varachha area was so strong that two adjoining buildings, having commercial establishments, also came crashing down, official sources said.
The entire area has been cordoned off and rescue and relief operations were being conducted on a war footing. Senior district and police official are supervising the operations.
"Fifty persons are still trapped under the debris, we have rescued 35 persons," Surat range Commissioner of Police V K Gupta said. The injured have been admitted to three different hospitals and condition of three was critical, police said adding 19 persons were discharged after treatment.
Five of the deceased have been identified as Ashish Vinubhai Rakholia, Sanduben Meghjibhia Dobaria, Kiranben Meghjibai Dobaria, Shitalben Dinesh Sanghvi and Nanduben Veljibhai.