HYDERABAD: As we started preparing for dinner last night, there was a loud noise outside the house. We initially thought it was an earthquake but when we came rushing out of the house, the entire place was engulfed with dust and nothing was visible for few minutes, a trembling Anitha Bai said. The multi-storeyed building beside her house had fallen like a pack of cards.
''We immediately walked to a safe open space and started alerting the neighbours, who, in turn alerted the police and local civic authorities. Within few minutes police personnel and civic staff rushed to the spot for rescue operations," she added.
We were forced to stay outside in the chilling cold without food and water all night. Our two rooms were demolished by the authorities for rescuing a woman and child, she added.
"All our belongings were removed from the house and presently lay scattered outside the house. We request the state government to rebuild our rooms," Anitha added.
''A few minutes before the incident, we had spoken to some of the victims regarding overflowing of water from overhead tank into their house and requested to control the overflow of water to which they said that the problem would be attended after having dinner but unfortunately the building incident has shocked us completely'', Madhuri Bai said.
Because of rescue operations using JCBs, the small independent house has suffered minor damages and the family demanded government bear the costs.
The building structure which nearing completion could have weakened due to continuous use of JCBs for digging cellars by a private construction company just opposite to crumbled building, she added and ruled out the possibility of using the gelatin sticks for blasting purposes.
"We haven't slept for a single second since last night. We had finished dinner and we were just sitting, when it happened. Our entire house shook, and in an instant, we were blinded and coughing. We immediately shut the window," Pradeep Singh said.
After the incident, there is no sleep for a single minute since last night because of hectic rescue activities going on at the site and forced to face cold weather, Krishna said.