BENGALURU: In just under two weeks, Bengaluru saw a third building collapse in Doctors’ Layout, Kasturi Nagar, on Thursday afternoon, just as a few residents managed to vacate their homes in the nick of time. Only three of the eight flats in the four-storey building were occupied when the incident occurred.
The first signs that the eight-year-old building was about to collapse were a series of strange creaking sounds. Ambarish Pandey, a resident, tried to run out of the house while alerting others to evacuate, just as the building started to tilt and then collapse on one side. Pandey and two other tenants -- Ankush Agarwal and Sanjana Pawate -- were rescued by fire and emergency personnel who arrived on the scene after being alerted about the creaking sounds.
Other residents quickly managed to get out of the building, while Pandey, Agarwal, and Sanjana lagged. However, no casualties were reported, and neither were there any injuries. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, who rushed to the site, said after the inspection, that the structure was built in 2013 after taking permission to build a two-storey structure. But the building owner, Ayesha Baig, is alleged to have decided to add floors “illegally”.
The case is now being investigated. Baig had leased four of the eight flats to tenants. The remaining flats were vacant. BBMP officials filed a case against the builder for violating norms, and further investigations will be done, Gupta said. A team of police personnel supervised the demolished building, even as BBMP officials evacuated residents of adjacent buildings as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, Agarwal, who has been living in the ill-fated building for the last four-and-a-half years, said he was sleeping when he heard creaking sounds and got alerted. On September 27, a dilapidated 70-year-old three-storey building collapsed in Subbaraju Layout of Lakksandra in Adugodi police station limits. The building housed 60 people, who had gone out to work when the incident occurred, hence, no casualties were reported.
On September 28, a ground-plus-two residential quarter of the Bangalore Milk Union Ltd (BAMUL) employees near Dairy Circle, collapsed around 9.25 am. Nine families had a miraculous escape as they ran out to save their lives. The BAMUL quarters were constructed more than 35 years ago. Late on Thursday evening, the BBMP said that it had taken up operation to clear the site with all safety measures in place. The Fire and Emergency Services personnel were also at the spot, the Palike said.