SUKKUR, Dec 25: Seven bodies and 17 injured people have so far been recovered from the rubble of a multi-storey building, which collapsed on Hussaini Road here on Wednesday night.

Some 35 to 40 people, including women and children, were trapped under the rubble of the five-storey residential plaza Sajjad Manzil.

The deceased included Fateh Mohammad, Salma, wife of Sadaqat Samo, Tauqeer, son of Sadaqat Samo, Zeenat, 5, Rafaqat, Akhlaq Ahmed and Naveed Ahmed.

Those injured included Saima, Kainaat, Sadaqat Samo, Naghma, Naheed, Ghazala, Fizza, Kafeel, Waqas, Abid, Baby Kiran, Ainy, Danish and Mohammad Anees. They were taken to Civil Hospital where the condition of six of them was said to be critical.

According to the area people, more than 10 people were still trapped under the debris. As the district government is not in a possession of any heavy machinery and cranes, heavy machinery has been brought in from the army engineering corps, Pano Akil cantonment, to remove the rubble.

Despite lapse of 20 hours little work has been done and it might take longer than expected to clear the wreckage.

Area people claimed that a Toyota car was also parked under the building and it too along with its four occupants was crushed under the rubble.

Though Sukkur District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and DPO Sharjeel Kharal had reached the spot within an hour of the incident, no other official of the district government bothered to come to the rescue of the ill-fated people.

However, the area people have done a great job, who along with the Edhi volunteers started rescue work immediately and despite non-availability of electricity in the area, they continued their work and managed to recover seven bodies and 17 injured from the rubble.

Meanwhile, Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, who rushed to Sukkur after the tragic incident, told journalists that a case had been registered against the builder and the contractor.

He said that thorough check of some 25 multi-storey buildings, out of which some were complete while others were under construction by the same builder, would be done through qualified architects and consultants.

He said that drastic action would be taken against the recently retired Sukkur taluka municipal officer Sukkur, Allah Dino Chachar, who was allegedly involved in granting permission to construct multi-storey plazas.

According to sources, permission was granted for construction of four-storey building, but instead of that, five-storey building was constructed.