NAGAPATTINAM: Eight drivers and conductors were killed and three others suffered injuries when the retiring room inside the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) depot in Porayar caved in during the wee hours on Friday. The victims were sleeping on the first floor of the retiring rooms when the incident happened. The retiring rooms were housed in a building constructed in 1943.
After the State government took over public transport in 1974, TNSTC continued to function from the building. Going by what other TNSTC employees said, it was a disaster waiting to happen. S Raja, a colleague of one of the deceased, said, “The structure was built over 70 years ago. We used to feel vibrations whenever a vehicle passed by.
“The incident happened at an odd hour when not many people were around to rescue those trapped under the debris. The victims used to spend the night in the retiring room as they lived 15 km away from Porayar.”
Speaking to Express, S Ravi, a milkman who saw the accident, said, “I heard a loud noise when I passed by the depot around 3.30 AM on Friday. A portion of the depot collapsed and people were shouting for help. I woke up officials in the depot and they informed police, fire service and ambulance. Within 20 minutes, firefighters and ambulances reached the spot. As the spot was covered with debris, it was difficult to rescue the employees.”
L7.5 lakh relief ordered
CM Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed condolences and announced H7.50 Lakh as solatium to each of the families of the deceased. Besides, as a special case, one member of each of the deceased family would be given employment in transport corporations, based on their qualification