A 10-day-old plan to set up a two-wheeler agency workshop ended in tragedy on Saturday evening after an under-construction two-storey commercial building collapsed in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area Phase II, killing two people.
Five labourers working at the site escaped with injuries after being rescued from the debris.
Police sources said the incident took place around 4.40 pm at Plot No. 28/9, where renovation and construction work was underway. According to officials, Tarun Jain, a resident of Meerut, had recently taken the building on lease, along with other partners, and they were preparing to start a two-wheeler dealership from the premises.
Jain and Tarun Kaushik were partners for the dealership. Another partner in the work, Sunil, had left the building few minutes before it collapsed.
Both Kaushik and Jain were rushed to GMCH-32, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Police officials said that at the time of the collapse, seven persons were inside the building, including five labourers and the two partners. One worker managed to crawl out of the debris and alerted the police control room, following which police, the Fire Department, Municipal Corporation’s disaster management teams, Civil Defence personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot.
The five labourers — Kuldeep, Kulbir, Umesh, Rahul and Ajeet were rescued during the initial phase of the operation and shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. Their condition is stated to be stable.
However, Jain and Kaushik remained trapped beneath the collapsed structure for more than five-and-a-half hours. NDRF teams, assisted by Civil Defence personnel, used cranes, around eight JCB machines and specialised rescue equipment to remove the debris and create access points beneath heavy concrete slabs.
The rescue operation concluded around 10 pm, when both men were pulled out from the rubble.
Police officials said Jain was found dead, while Kaushik, who was rescued in a critical condition, was rushed to GMCH-32, where he later died.
“One of the victims was conscious and responding to rescuers, while the other was pulled out unconscious. Their medical condition was immediately assessed by doctors after they were shifted to hospital,” an NDRF official said after the operation.
Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed within seconds, leaving those inside with little chance to escape. According to local residents, repair work was being carried out on a wall of the ageing structure amid rainfall. They alleged that water seepage had weakened portions of the building before a wall suddenly gave way, triggering the collapse of the entire structure. These claims, however, are yet to be officially verified. Senior police officers remained at the site throughout the rescue operation, while the surrounding area was cordoned off to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery and ensure public safety.
The Chandigarh Administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Officials said the investigation will examine whether the building was structurally unsafe and whether prescribed safety norms were followed during the renovation and construction work.
Police have also initiated a separate investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the collapse. The exact cause of the incident will be known only after the technical assessment of the building and the site is completed.
A police official said that a CFSL team shall inspect the spot, and following an inquiry, if lapses are found, FIR will be registered as per law.
A building collapsed in Chandigarh's Industrial Area Phase-2 (Photo/ANI) 
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