The under-construction building in Bengaluru, the collapse of which has claimed five lives, was illegal and strict action will be taken against its owner, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has announced.

“I was told that no permission was given. Illegal activities were going on. We will take strict action against the owner, contractor and everyone. In the entire Bengaluru… we will come up with a decision. All the illegal construction will be stopped immediately… contractor, my officials and even the owner of the property, everyone will be booked under the law,” Mr Shivakumar said after taking stock of the situation at Horamavu Agara, where the incident occurred.

“According to the information I got, 21 labourers were here. The body of 26-year-old Arman was recovered. 26 people work here daily,” the Deputy Chief Minister added.

The death count has since climbed to five and seven people are injured. Thirteen people have been rescued so far. Among the dead are Harman (26), Tripal (35) and Mohd Sahil (19) from Bihar, Sathya Raju (25) and Shankar. 

Tushar Giri Nath, Chief Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike, quoted Mr Shivakumar as saying, “It is a crime to build such a big building on a 60/40 plot. The authorities said that they have issued notices three times. If notices were issued, strict action should have been taken instead. This is a big lesson for us.”

The National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force are carrying out the rescue operation. Dog squads have been deployed as the rescuers search for survivors.

“After we received information about the collapse of the building, fire engines and personnel were rushed to the spot. SDRF and NDRF were also informed. Rescue operations are underway,” said Prashant Kumar Thakur, Director General of Fire Services.

“We would know how many people have died only after a detailed investigation. Around 15-20 labourers were living in the building. More labourers lived in the shed near the building,” he added.

A CCTV footage of the collapse shows the building tilting to its left. Within seconds, the multi-storied structure takes a tumble. The exterior of the building is painted, indicating that construction was in its last leg.

The Supreme Court ruled 8:1 that the central government lacks regulatory authority over industrial alcohol production, affirming states’ legislative powers. The decision overturns a previous seven-judge bench verdict and follows rigorous legal arguments from both state and central representatives.