Mohali, 22 December 2024: The death toll in the Mohali building collapse rose to two on Sunday after the recovery of a man’s body from the debris, Mohali Sub-Divisional Magistrate Damandeep Kaur confirmed.
The deceased, identified as 24-year-old Abhishek Dhanwal from Ambala, was reportedly buried under the rubble when the four-storey structure gave way on Saturday. Locals claimed Dhanwal had returned to the unstable building to retrieve his phone despite warnings, leading to the fatal incident.
Rescue operations, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army personnel, entered their second day on Sunday. NDRF officials revealed that five people were initially trapped under the debris following the collapse, which has been attributed to ongoing excavation work in the basement of an adjacent building.
On Saturday, a 20-year-old woman from Himachal Pradesh succumbed to injuries sustained during the collapse. Authorities have since filed charges against the two owners of the collapsed building, although further details of the investigation remain undisclosed.
Efforts to clear the site and ensure no additional casualties continue as officials probe the incident.