2 dead, several trapped as 7 storey building collapses in Bengaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 5, 2016:A seven-storey building collapsed in Bengaluru’s Bellandur area today, killing two and injuring several others. Police and firefighting authorities are at the location trying to rescue people trapped in the building.

"Two bodies have been taken out of the debris and efforts are on to rescue another four persons trapped in the heap of construction material at the accident site," Bengaluru Additional Police Commissioner P Harikrishnan told reporters.

 

According to Door Darshan news channel, 10 people are reported to have been stuck under the debris. Some report suggests that the developer and the owner of the building are absconding and a manhunt have been launched to arrest them. Some report also suggests that the owner of the building was issued a permit to construct only two floors, but he went ahead and developed seven more floors, leading to the collapse.

Local Municipal Commissioner, Mayor of Bengaluru had reached the spot and attempts to retrieve people trapped under the debris are carried out by rescue officials.

From images, it looks like that the under-construction building has leaned towards an adjacent building causing damage to it also. Looking at the image experts believe that the materials used on the site were substandard.

An eyewitness said that the seven floor was constructed by the developer in just three to four months, which may have led to the sudden collapse. “How Municipal Corporation of Bengaluru allowed it and how it went unreported to them. It seems that the officers had turned their blind eye towards the construction,” said a local on condition of anonymity. A local resident Nita who was witness to the crash said, “After the structure collapse we hear a huge sound following which we came out of our home. It was too dusty and the debris had fallen. We shocked to see that the building was just a few months old but still it collapsed”.

Many locals had complained about the illegal structure constructed in the area but BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike, city’s civic agency) had failed to take action against the developer. The collapse has left the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation red face as state Chief Minister has asked for a detail report about the incident.

A few months back residents living in Ulsoor region of Bengaluru woke up during the wee hours to a resounding crash of a weakened building which came down to heavy rains. In the crash, two people, including a child were killed and the building collapse also brought down the adjoining house.