Building collapses, lucky escape for Bangalore Metro workers
BENGALURU: A dilapidated 70-year-old three-storey building collapsed in Subbaraju Layout in Lakkasandra, in Adugodi police station limits, on Monday morning. The building housed about 60 people, who had gone out to work when the incident occurred, so no casualty was reported. It is alleged that the house owner, Suresh, did not take any action despite being requested to do something about the building, which had developed cracks all over. He is on the run.
Fire & Emergency Services department officials said they had received an alert about the possibility of a collapse a few minutes before the building came down, around 10.30am. Before they rushed to the spot, the residents had left the house while neighbours were coming out to safety and removing vehicles that were parked outside, anticipating that it would collapse. Soon after, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team rushed to the spot and checked to confirm that no one was stuck under the debris.
No casualties were reported | Shriram BN
Electricity was disconnected to the area, as the authorities started clearing the debris. “As people were looking, the building collapsed. Luckily, there was no loss of human life or injury to anyone. Even damage to the adjacent buildings was minimal. It would have been a major tragedy if it had collapsed in the night, while its occupants were sleeping,” an official said.
A resident of the building said there were huge cracks in the basement, so the owner had asked them to stay on the first floor and above. “About 40 of us, all workers, were living in the building. We were living here for six months. We had complained to the owner about the cracks on the floors, walls, and the ceiling but he did nothing about it”.
Poornima, a neighbour said, “We know the owner for many years and had raised our concerns with him about the state of his building, but he ignored us. On Monday morning, we called and told him there was a weird sound coming from the building. He said he would come but has not turned up”.
The BBMP confirmed that it was a 70-year-old building, and filed a complaint against Rathnamma, on whose name the property is registered, and her son Suresh. Police sources said Suresh had informed them he would come to the station, but escaped. Police booked him for negligence and endangering the lives of others, and are on the lookout for him.
“The building was occupied by about 22 labourers working for the underground stretch of the Metro. Cracks were observed in the basement and the labourers were shifted immediately from the building. No labourer belonging to the Metro works contractor were injured,” the BMRCL said in a statement.
60 people lived in the building
The incident occurred at around 10:30am