Three injured in building collapse

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 2. A three-storeyed building with nine houses, which belonged to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) in Rayapura in Jagjivanram Nagar in Bangalore, collapsed on Monday, injuring three persons, one of whom has been admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.

With incessant rains in the City, the collapse of old buildings, particularly BMP quarters built for pourakarmikas, has become a common feature.

Five years ago, an old building at Jakkarayanakere on Platform Road collapsed, resulting in the death of two persons.

The occupants of the building that collapsed on Monday had an inkling of what was going to happen and they came out of their houses last night soon after a heavy downpour.

However, Ms. Amal Mary, Ms. Obalamma and Mr. Ravi Kumar, who were trying to retrieve some household articles when the structure collapsed, were injured.

The other block consisting of nine houses, adjacent to the one which collapsed, is also in a highly dilapidated condition.

According to BMP sources, the building had been declared unfit for occupation. Built in 1985, it developed cracks on Sunday night, following heavy rains.

Household articles, worth thousands of rupees, were destroyed under the debris.

Immediately after the incident, the Director General of Police, Fire Forces, Dr. K. Srinivasan, the Additional Commissioner of Police, Mr. M. N. Reddi, the DCP, Mr. U. Nisar Ahmed and Mr. V. Somanna, MLA, visited the spot.

A group of pourakarmikas demanded relief when the Mayor, Mr. M. Ramachandrappa, visited the spot.

Building crumbles

A two-storeyed private building near Elgin Theatre in Shivajinagar also collapsed on Monday. No one was injured.

The first floor of the building was vacant and a garage was functioning in the ground floor. The BMP officials helped in clearing the debris.

Senior police officers, including the Joint Commissioner of Police, Mr. B. N. Nagaraj, and the DCP, Mr. K. L. Sudheer, visited the spot.

Hundreds of old trees were uprooted by gusty winds on Sunday night. A huge tree fell near the residence of the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjuna Kharge.

The BMP engineering staff have been pressed into service to drain rain water from houses in low lying areas.

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Section  : Southern States
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