Hyderabad: Two persons were killed and several others injured after a seven-storey under-construction building collapsed at Anjaiah Nagar in Madhapur on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 1 pm, triggering panic among residents of the surrounding areas.

The deceased were identified as Mahtab and Umesh, both reportedly from Madhya Pradesh. They were engaged in laying tiles at the construction site when the structure collapsed. The building, reportedly constructed on a 50-square-yard plot over a nala drain box, collapsed in parts, sending huge quantities of debris onto neighbouring structures.

Several people were injured after the debris fell on nearby buildings. The injured were shifted to hospitals for treatment. Residents of the neighbouring Jayadarshini Residency said they heard a massive sound and initially feared that an earthquake had occurred. People living in nearby houses rushed onto the streets in panic.

Soon after the incident, teams from the local police, HYDRAA, Fire Department and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation reached the spot. Senior officials supervised the rescue operations as personnel searched through the debris for people who might have been trapped.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Department and other rescue agencies were also pressed into service. Rescue personnel used specialised equipment to enter the collapsed structure and continued operations to ensure that no one remained trapped under the debris.

Cyberabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner G Srijana and HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath visited the site and reviewed the rescue operations. Later, Ranganath said two bodies had been recovered from the debris and that rescue teams were continuing to search the remaining rubble.

He said an inspection would be conducted in coordination with CMC officials to identify violations in similar constructions. Action would be initiated against the owners if violations were established.

According to officials, a builder identified as Sajid was allegedly constructing similar buildings on small plots of land. Authorities said appropriate action would be taken against the builder if violations were confirmed.

Local residents alleged that the building was constructed illegally despite several complaints to municipal authorities. They questioned how such a large structure was permitted to come up on a small plot located over a nala.

Residents also expressed concern that the consequences could have been much more serious had the collapse occurred during the evening. Sanjay Kumar, a local resident, said children usually played around the building and that more people could have been present in the area later in the day.

Authorities are continuing the rescue and investigation operations, while further details regarding the exact cause of the collapse and the responsibility of those involved are awaited.