Goa building collapse: Death toll climbs to 27

Two more bodies were pulled out today from the debris of the Canacona building collapse here, taking the death toll in the mishap to 27.

Bodies of two men were extricated from the rubble this morning as rescue operations entered the seventh day, Director of Fire and emergency services Ashok Menon told PTI.

The five-storey building at Canacona town, 70 kms from here, had caved in last Saturday.

The rescuers had began clearing the debris little after the tragedy but met with a roadblock on Monday when they had to withdraw operations due to threat to adjacent buildings following which manual rescue work began on Tuesday.

Sixteen people were thereafter pulled alive out of the wreckage.

Menon said that the rescue operations will get over by this evening and more bodies are feared trapped inside.

Earlier this week, police arrested a senior town and country planning department officer holding him responsible for licensing faulty buildings while several others including the builders are on the run.