Nearby buildings tremble as portion of textile shop crashes

A few portions fell in the gap between the structure and the flyover and broke the railings kept to control the dust. However, none was injured in the incident. Though cops downplayed the incident claiming that the collapse was anticipated and enough safety precautions were in place, the residents living nearby told a different story. “The entire building shook for a few seconds and we had no idea what happened. There was no alert or intimation whatsoever,” said Gokulnath, a resident of Viji Flats, the building behind the Chennai Silks site. 

A watchman of another building said, “Portions of the building fell with a mild thud followed by a huge blast-like sound and blinding dusty smoke. We thought the entire building collapsed and fell on the flyover. It took a while for the dust to settle and only then we realised what had happened.”

Gokulnath, who has been staying at Viji Flats for over four months, said that no measure has been taken to control the dust from the demolition site. “Our windows remain closed ever since the fire accident. The safety plastic net was set up only for the first two floors,” he said. 

Refuting reports that the collapse was an accident, Peer Mohammed, contractor of the demolition, said that the structure came down as per plan. “Chennai Silks has given the detailed plan of the structure and we targeted the specific columns as advised by the experts from IIT-Madras to bring down the structure. Otherwise, it would have fallen on top of the flyover and would have damaged GRT Jewellery on the other side of the road. The work started at 8.04 am and the collapse took place around 10 am,” he said. 

A government official, on conditions of anonymity, said, work is on to make a structure of debris in the basement. “The jaw cutters will climb over it to reach the top of the remaining structure. Contractors are working towards finishing their work by Sunday,” he added.