Building collapses killing four in India, girl feared alive

New Delhi

Rescuers in the Indian capital on Sunday scrambled to find a little girl in the ruins of a four-storey building after its collapse killed four people and injured several.

Dozens of people in neon orange safety vests and hard hats used earth-moving equipment, shovels and bare hands to shift mangled heaps of steel and concrete after the residential building caved in late Saturday in New Delhi.

"Four people are confirmed dead and eight have been injured. But right now rescue teams are trying to find a small child feared still trapped in there," Dependra Pathak, a senior New Delhi police official, told AFP. 

"I hope she's still alive but we will have to wait and see."

Pathak cited faulty drainage repair work in the neighbourhood and rain for weakening the building, adding that the flouting of construction norms and "natural wear and tear" also contributed to the collapse. 

"These buildings are really old and built by local, unqualified guys without any proper checks" leading to poor foundations and structure, he said. 

The Delhi government has ordered an investigation and a detailed report from the local administration within seven days, while a police complaint has been registered against "unknown persons" for causing death by negligence.