Building collapse: Neighbors live through horror night

Around 6.50 pm, they heard a loud sound followed by cries of men. They rushed out of their rooms only to see a thick dust and smoke blocking their vision. As the power supply was also interrupted, they could not understand what happened for a few minutes.

When the dust settled, they realised that an entire floor of the under-construction building collapsed onto the road, damaging the front portion of their mansion as well.

“People near-by rushed to help those trapped under the building and most of the them were rescued immediately. We could not go out as our entrance was blocked with debris and a few minutes later, police personnel reached the spot and asked us not to step out. With no option left, we spent the entire night sleepless on the terrace,” said Murali.

Apart from the workers, a few residents too suffered injuries, including a tenant of the mansion and an auto driver, sources said. However, police didn’t reveal their names. “The auto driver, a local resident, had just parked his vehicle and stepped out when the structure collapsed,” they added.

However, police sources said that the victims have not lodged any complaint as the construction firm, URC constructions, promised to compensate them suitably.

The Public Works Department officials, who inspected the site and the details of raw materials, said that a faulty fixture in one of the pillars caused the accident. “A supporting pillar would have prevented the accident. Also, the structure fell slowly onto the road bending the fixture which resulted in minimal damage as well loss of lives. Had the collapse been sudden, the result would have been much worse,” said a PWD official. Police said that Bablu died since he ran in the same direction where the structure collapsed and came under the debris.

As the debris were removed and electrical lines were fixed, the residents of the locality look with a caution hoping it was all over.