At least six people died and three others were injured when a three-storey departmental store undergoing major repair work collapsed here on Wednesday afternoon.

The police could not confirm whether anyone was still trapped as rescue operations wound up in the evening.

The building in question, City Shopping Centre, is located in New Industrial Township Phase-I here. According to reports, about 50 shoppers were inside the complex when the three-decade-old building came crashing down around 12.45 pm.

Faridabad Deputy Commissioner Praveen Kumar said: “Six bodies have already been taken out. Three people who have suffered injuries were rescued earlier — they were admitted in different hospitals in the city.”

As a huge crowd gathered at the spot rescue team personnel were assisted with 10 cranes, fire brigade personnel and ambulance service. The inclement weather, though, made the rescue work a difficult proposition later in the day. “It was dark and unsafe to carry on. The rains made it doubly difficult,” Faridabad Police Commissioner P K Aggarwal said.

Aggarwal said since the adjacent structures also “developed stress” following the mishap, the police have cordoned off the whole area. Additional police personnel have been deployed so that no one enters the collapsed departmental store, he said.

Aggarwal said all the victims were labourers involved in repair work at the building, though there is no official word yet on what caused the mishap.

“It was a major collapse and our initial concern was to save lives,” the city police chief said. “The exact reason is yet to be ascertained, but prima facie it seems repair work being carried out in the building caused the collapse.”

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