NEW DELHI: Five people were killed Wednesday when an apartment block collapsed in New Delhi, crushing residents beneath mountains of concrete, in the latest building accident to hit India.
Rescuers combing the wreckage with sniffer dogs in Delhi’s north pulled out at least a dozen people who were trapped beneath the rubble.
“We can confirm the deaths of five people. Rescue teams at the site are still clearing the debris,” local police official Sarat Chandra Nirmal said.
An AFP photographer at the scene saw the bodies of two children being pulled from the rubble.
The block was located in a cramped, middle-class neighborhood where many buildings share common walls.
The Press Trust of India quoted an unnamed local official saying the building was 20-years-old and structurally unsound.
Other local media reported the fourth floor of the block was illegally constructed.
It is just the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in India.
In July, a six-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Delhi, killing nine.
Last year, a wall collapsed onto guests celebrating a wedding in Rajasthan state, killing two dozen people.
A massive influx of people to cities in search of jobs and a shortage of cheap housing has fueled the construction of illegal buildings across India. Many are built with sub-standard materials.
Millions also live in dilapidated old buildings, many of which are susceptible to collapse during rain.
India building collapse kills five
India building collapse kills five
- Rescuers combing the wreckage with sniffer dogs in Delhi’s north pulled out at least a dozen people who were trapped beneath the rubble
- Millions live in dilapidated old buildings, many of which are susceptible to collapse during rain
Indonesia’s first woman president awarded honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah University
- Megawati was recognized for her leadership and contributions to social, legal affairs
- She has received 10 other honorary degrees from Indonesian and foreign institutions
JAKARTA: Megawati Sukarnoputri, who served as Indonesia’s fifth president and was the country’s only female head of state to date, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, becoming the first foreign national to receive the title.
Megawati, the eldest daughter of Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and chairwoman of the country’s largest political party, the PDIP, served as president from 2001 to 2004.
The 79-year-old was awarded an honorary doctorate in organizational and legal affairs in Riyadh on Monday during a ceremony overseen by Princess Nourah University’s acting president, Dr. Fawzia bint Sulaiman Al-Amro.
“This recognition was given in appreciation of her efforts during her presidency, her significant contributions to social, organizational, and legal fields, and her role in strengthening institutional leadership in Indonesia,” the university said in a statement.
This is Megawati’s 11th honorary doctorate. She has received similar degrees from Indonesian and foreign universities, including the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2003 and the Soka University of Japan in 2020.
She has also been awarded the title of honorary professor by several institutions, including by the Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2022.
“We gather at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, a university that stands as a symbol of women’s progress in education, knowledge and public service … To see so many intelligent women, I feel very proud,” Megawati said in her acceptance speech.
“Women’s empowerment is not a threat to any values, culture or tradition. It is actually a condition for nations that believe in their future … A great nation is one that is able to harness all of its human potential. A strong nation is one that does not allow half of its social power to be left on the sidelines of history.”
Megawati is the longest-serving political leader in Indonesia. Indonesia’s first direct presidential elections took place during her presidency, consolidating the country’s transition to democracy after the downfall of its longtime dictator Suharto in 1998.
