Delhi building toll 55, rescue work on

NEW DELHI - Rescuers Tuesday continued to search for possible survivors in the rubble of a high-rise building that collapsed here overnight, killing at least 55 people and injuring over 80.

Hours after the tragedy, officials said the number of dead may rise because victims have been buried under tonnes of rubble in Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi.

The disaster took place at 8.15 p.m. when the building was occupied by dozens of labourers, mostly from West Bengal and Bihar.

Delhi’s chief fire officer R.C. Sharma told IANS that the official death toll as of 9 a.m. Tuesday was 55.

He put the number of injured at around 80, including many who are battling serious injuries in hospitals.

“Rescue work is still going on,” Sharma said.

“Rescuers are trying to reach every section of the collapsed building.”

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit called the tragedy “unprecedented”.