Four bodies have been found in the debris of an under-construction six-storey building in a suburb of the Indian capital that collapsed into an adjacent building, authorities say.
Local media reported there could be at least a dozen other people trapped in the debris after the collapse late Tuesday, but senior police official Ram Kumar said two to three people were likely still buried in the rubble.
The six-storey building collapsed onto a four-storey building next to it in the city of Noida, one of the satellite cities of New Delhi and part of what is known as the National Capital Region.
A family of four people and some labourers were still missing, Times of India newspaper reported citing local residents.
National Disaster Response Force teams were working at the site, Kumar said. The debris were being removed by cranes and by hand.
Three people were arrested in relation to the incident, including the developer of the building, a police official at the Bisrat police station said.
Charges of death due to negligence have been filed against them.
An inquiry by a magistrate has been ordered.
The cause of the collapse is not yet known. Unsafe buildings constructed with substandard materials are common in Indian cities and collapses are frequent.
Australian Associated Press