Probe launched into Bin Derham building collapse

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said investigation teams have begun working to ascertain the causes of the building collapse in the Bin Derham area of Central Doha yesterday, Qatar News Agency reported. One person was killed and seven others were injured in the collapsed that occurred around 8.30am yesterday.
In an update late last night, the MoI said the search-and-rescue team was able to pull out two women alive. They were shifted to hospital for the necessary medical treatment.
Also, preliminary investigations indicated that maintenance work was going on in the building at the time of its collapse. The relevant authorities have taken measures to ensure that the parties responsible for the maintenance work had the necessary permits and to determine whether their actions had any impact on the building’s collapse.
Earlier yesterday, the Ministry of Interior announced that the Civil Defence and other relevant authorities rescued seven persons after the four-storied building in the Bin Derham area collapsed, while one person who was inside the building died. Efforts were under way to ensure that no one was trapped inside the building, an MoI statement said.
Director of the MoI’s Public Relations Department Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa al-Muftah told QNA that the injuries were minor to medium in nature, and the survivors were receiving the necessary treatment. He also pointed to the continuation of search-and-rescue operations at the site.
The official said specialised teams evacuated families from the adjacent buildings “as a precautionary measure” and transferred them to a hotel “where they were receiving appropriate psychological support from the Community Police”. Speaking to Qatar TV, Brigadier al-Muftah wished the victims a speedy recovery. He said the Civil Defence, Rescue Police (Al-Fazaa) and Traffic Police, along with ambulances, rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported.
Meanwhile, Commander of the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group Lt-Col Mubarak Sherida al-Kaabi told Qatar TV that the rescue operations were continuing and have already succeeded in saving seven survivors. “There is another group that the team is working on to secure their exit. The rescue team operating in the Bin Derham area is highly trained and was in Turkiye in February to help rescue those affected by the earthquake that struck southern Turkiye,” he noted.
He added the search team sprung into action with the necessary equipment. The team uses an advanced set of equipment such as sensors and thermal cameras, in addition to trained dogs, to spot survivors.