Death toll rises to nine in building collapse near Indian capital

The death toll in the collapse of two multi-storey buildings in a Delhi suburb rose to nine on Thursday after more bodies were recovered from the rubble, police said.

An under-construction six-storey building collapsed into an adjacent four-storey apartment building late Tuesday in the city of Noida, one of the satellite cities of New Delhi.

"Five more bodies were pulled out from the rubble overnight, taking the toll to nine," local police officer Pushpender Singh said by phone from the scene.

"No survivors have been found in the rescue operations so far. The operations will continue through Thursday as more people are feared trapped," he added.

Among the victims was a 14-month-old baby girl and her parents. Media reports said six more residents were missing.

About 400 rescue workers from the National Disaster Response Force, local agencies and police were involved in the effort, which was debris removed with the help of cranes and by hand.

Three people including the developer of the building have been arrested and charges of negligent homicide were filed against them.

A police complaint said substandard materials were being used in the construction of the building, leading to the collapse, media reports said.

Unsafe buildings constructed with poor materials are common in Indian cities and collapses are frequent.