Two dead, 12 injured as three-storey building collapses in Indore after heavy rain

Two people were killed and 12 others injured when a three-storey house crumbled in the Ranipura area of Indore late on Monday night following persistent rainfall.

District collector Shivam Verma said 14 members of a family were trapped beneath the rubble when the structure gave way. “Initially, 13 were suspected to be buried, but another child was later rescued safely. In total, 14 people were pulled out, of whom two have unfortunately died,” he told reporters at the scene.

The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Alifa and a man named Faheem. Twelve others are receiving treatment at the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Government Hospital (MYH). Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, dean of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, confirmed that Alifa was declared dead on arrival.

The rescue operation, which lasted nearly five hours, was carried out jointly by teams from the Municipal Corporation, police, district administration, State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF), and Civil Defence, with support from local residents. Excavators and JCB machines were deployed to remove the debris.

Officials said the front portion of the building had been renovated recently, but the rear section was old and structurally weak. “We will investigate the condition of the foundation,” Collector Verma said.

Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava added that part of the collapsed structure had fallen onto a neighbouring building. Preliminary findings suggest the house, believed to be eight to ten years old, lacked proper beams and columns, while continuous water accumulation may have undermined its stability.

Police commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh, district collector Verma, and municipal commissioner Harshika Singh supervised the rescue efforts on site through the night. An inquiry into the collapse has been ordered.

With PTI Inputs