Atleast 12 persons were injured when a three-storey house on a hill slope in Ladakh’s Kargil town collapsed on Saturday morning. The hillside reportedly caved in when a JCB was cutting the earth for some construction activity below in the Kabadi Nallah area.
Driver of the JCB was among those rescued from under the debris. The injured have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. A magisterial enquiry has been ordered into the mishap that was reported at about 3.45 am.
Teams of the Indian Army, Police and some NGOs immediately joined the rescue operations, officials said.
Residents of the nearby houses that were also standing precariously on the steep slope have been evacuated to safe places. It took more than three hours to remove the debris and pull out the JCB driver.
Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon and Kargil Deputy Commissioner, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse supervised the rescue operation.
“We have taken the incident seriously and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Those found guilty will be punished,” Suse told reporters.
He said the administration has decided to form a committee to inspect structures in “vulnerable areas” of the district. “The committee will also check for any violation in building regulation laws and identify the guilty,” the DC said.