The toll in the Hyderabad building collapse rose to 11 on Saturday. Rescue authorities pulled out two people from the debris of the under-construction structure. The owner of the seven-storey building has also been arrested, ANI reported. All those caught in the building collapse are workers who lived in its cellar.

Several people were feared trapped in the rubble, after the building, located in the city’s Nanakramguda locality, caven in while labourers were busy with tiling and plumbing work. Greater Hyderabad Munucipal Corporation Commissioner Janardhan Reddy said 50% of the debris had been removed. Rescue work was delayed for a while as the road leading to the site of the incident is narrow.

While Reddy had said they had found violations of several rules for construction at the site, other civic officials had said they believed the property, which was in the final stages of being built, could have collapsed because of a weak foundation.

Telangana Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao, who visited the location, said an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh would be given to the next of kin of those killed. The state government has given its assurance that the building owner, as well as civic officials “who looked the other way”, will face strict action for allegedly violating construction rules, Hindustan Times reported.