CHENNAI: Three persons sustained injuries when an old building, believed to be over 60 years old, which was undergoing renovation collapsed at the junction of Armenian Street and Mooker Nallamuthu Street near Parry’s on Wednesday morning. Five vehicles were also damaged, said the police.
While initially it was believed that four people were trapped under the debris of the four-storied building, a senior fire and rescue department official said till 5:30 pm there were no signs of anyone being tapped. Rescue operations were called was called off at 9.20 pm, said the police.
Esplanade police have so far booked building owner Bharath Chand. The case was filed under sections 288, 427 and 337 of the IPC. The police said the building was being renovated without obtaining proper permission from the Royapuram zone of the Corporation.
According to Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services officials, the building collapsed around 10:15 am. Three people - Arasu (51), an auto driver, Parthiban (50), a DMK functionary, and Mohammad Rafiq, a lorry driver - who were standing nearby sustained minor injuries. Based on Parthiban’s complaint, the police registered a case.
Arun (30), a platform-dweller said he witnessed the building collapse. “A person who was working inside ran out when he felt the building shake. I did not see anybody else come out,” he said. Seven fire tender vehicles rushed to the spot on information. DGP/Director of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) visited the spot and oversaw the rescue operations.
TNFRS also deployed the dog squad. A 26-member NDRF team led by commander Kowshal Kumar Parera from Adyar also arrived on the scene. In all, 284 personnel from the TNDRF, NDRF, and fire and rescue services personnel were involved in rescue efforts. Modern equipment, including the victim location camera, was used.
After several hours of the rescue operation, corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the building owner and the contractor had informed them that none of their workers was inside and/or missing. Earlier, they had said that a woman was missing, but she was later traced to her home, Bedi added. Mayor R Priya, corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, and other senior officials took stock of the situation.
Around 60 corporation staff were posted on the site, according to officials. Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru, after an inspection, said, “The corporation surveys dilapidated buildings every year but owners don’t come forward and what’s needed even after a notice is issued.”
Minister PK Sekarbabu who also inspected the site said, “Some of the dilapidated buildings are Trust property and some have moved court, keeping us from demolishing them.”
Highest number of old buildings in Royapuram
According to surveys conducted by the corporation, most of the dilapidated buildings in the city are found in Royapuram zone. “Every year, of the 250-300 buildings identified as dilapidated, most of them are in Royapuram. We serve demolition notices to house owners immediately,” said a senior corporation official.
A corporation official said, “Royapuram does have the highest number of dilapidated buildings mainly because it is one of the oldest settlements in Chennai.” Meanwhile, a senior corporation official said following the incident, all buildings in dilapidated condition will be revisited to ascertain whether they need to be demolished, partially or fully.
“We will handle litigation on a case-to-case basis. For these buildings, we will issue a notice under section 258 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act.” “In case the building is deemed very dangerous, the corporation will demolish the building and recover the cost from the property tax,” the official said.
(With inputs from Nirupama Viswanathan)