Goa mishap: Rescue operation halted after adjacent buildings tilt

Zee Media Bureau

Canacona: The death toll in the Goa building collapse increased to 17 even as authorities halted rescue operations in the area despite fears of people still being trapped under the rubble on Monday after adjacent buildings tilted dangerously. The authorities decided to stop the rescue operation after two adjacent five-storey buildings weakened due to constant drilling and tilted. The buildings were yet to be completed and were constructed by the same builder who constructed the building that collapsed. The tragic incident took place on Saturday when an under-construction building, Ruby Residency, collapsed burying around 50 people working at the site. Apart from the police and fire department officials, Army was called to carry out the relief and rescue operations. The construction work at the building was being carried out by a Navi Mumbai-based real estate development firm, Bharat Developers and Realtors Pvt Ltd. Police is still hunting for builder Vishwas Desai and contractor Jaideep Saigal who are absconding after the incident.