The death toll rises to 13, in the multi-storey building collapse in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, after 5 more bodies were retrieved from the site on Sunday, officials said.
The four-storey building was razed to the ground after a bout of torrential rainfall hit the area leaving twenty-eight people injured that comprised of 17 soldiers and 11 civilians.
The bodies of 12 Army personnel and a civilian were extricated from the debris, the officials said.
Solan Sub Divisional Magistrate Rohit Rathore said one person was still feared trapped under the debris.
According to officials, the incident took place when soldiers, belonging to the Assam Rifles of nearby Dagshai Cantonment, were having their party at a roadside eatery-cum-residential complex which caved in due to heavy rain.
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An injured person Rakesh Kumar, said that about 50 persons, including several Army personnel, restaurant staff and other customers were in the building when it collapsed.
"We thought it was a quake and did not know how the building collapsed and we were trapped under the debris. I remained trapped for about 10-15 minutes after which some people rescued me," he added.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who is monitoring the operation, said soldiers and civilians were present in the building, located on the Kumarhatti-Nahan road, around 55 km from Shimla.
Thakur, who has ordered a probe into the incident, visited the spot on Monday morning.
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"A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered (to investigate the cause of the collapse). Strict legal action will be taken against erring persons after getting the report," Thakur told reporters at the site.
"It is very unfortunate. The rescue operation started immediately. As per the information received till now, the building structure was not as per specifications," he added.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the owner of the building, Thakur said.
"There are more such buildings in the state. Owners have constructed them without following building by-laws. Whatever is required to be done, will be done to check it," he said.
Deputy Commissioner K.C. Chaman said measures to rescue people trapped in the debris were on. The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police initially carried out the rescue operation. Subsequently, three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams reached on the spot to conduct rescue operations.
(With inputs from Agencies)
