Rescue officials have confirmed the recovery of seven bodies from the rubble of a six-storey building that collapsed at Sachin Pali village in Surat on Saturday. The residential building, which housed 30 apartments, had only five occupied units at the time of the incident. The collapse occurred amid heavy rains over the past few days.

Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek informed the media that the search operation continued throughout the night, with the seventh body being pulled out at 6 am. Although the search is still ongoing, rescuers believe that no more residents are trapped under the debris.

On Saturday, a woman was rescued from the rubble, and 15 others were injured when the building came down around 2.45 pm. Rescue teams, including NDRF and SDRF workers, worked overnight to clear the large concrete slabs and reach the trapped residents.

The building, constructed in 2017, housed five families when it collapsed. Many residents were at work during the collapse, but some, particularly those on night shifts, were inside sleeping. Local residents rushed to the scene to assist in the rescue efforts immediately following the collapse.

Despite being only eight years old, the building was largely vacant and in poor condition, officials reported. Commissioner of Police Anupam Gehlot noted that rescue teams could hear the cries of trapped individuals, leading to the rescue of a woman who was subsequently sent to the hospital.

Initially, senior police officers estimated that 6-7 people were trapped under the rubble. With the search operations still in progress, officials are hopeful that all trapped individuals will be recovered soon.