Chennai: Staircase collapse leaves Pattinapakkam families fearing for safety

CHENNAI: A staircase in a two-storey TNUHDB building at Nambikkai Nagar in Pattinapakkam collapsed on Saturday, injuring a person and forcing residents to stay out of their homes amid fears that more portions of the ageing structures could give way. The incident has heightened concerns among families living in six TNUHDB buildings in the locality.

Each building has eight flats and the structures were constructed in the 1970s. Residents said that the buildings had received some maintenance during the AIADMK regime, but there had been no proper maintenance in recent years.

They said walls, staircases and other portions of the buildings had deteriorated and some had occasionally collapsed, posing a risk to residents. Paulraj, a resident, said, “My friend had come here to attend a temple festival. He was climbing the staircase to the 8^th house in Block 42 when it suddenly collapsed. He was injured in the incident, after which residents on the upper floors have been unable to access their homes.”

Residents have been staying outside their houses since 9 pm on Saturday, near Madha Church. “A temporary place should be arranged for women and children to stay. Otherwise, there is a possibility of more accidents. Families with children are afraid that pieces of the building could fall and cause injuries. As we could not enter our houses, we stayed overnight in a festival pandal nearby,” he said.

Latha, another resident, said that several portions of the buildings, including walls and staircases, were damaged both inside and outside the houses. “Residents sleep in fear at night. If this situation continues, their safety will remain at risk. No action has been taken so far,” she said.

A TNUHDB official said that the board had received a complaint regarding the condition of the buildings. “We’ll discuss the issue with the managing director and take appropriate action,” the official said.