A tragic building collapse in Hyderabad has claimed two lives and injured two others, bringing to light serious concerns about illegal construction practices and regulatory oversight in the city.
Key Points
- An under-construction seven-storey building in Hyderabad's Gachibowli area collapsed, resulting in two fatalities and two injuries.
- The collapsed structure was built on a small plot (50-60 square yards) near a drain, lacking mandatory setbacks and violating construction rules.
- Authorities, including HYDRAA and CMC, confirmed the building had been seized four months prior, but construction illegally resumed just before the collapse.
- The incident has prompted a wider investigation into the owner's involvement in other illegal constructions, including commercial hostels for IT employees.
- Officials are urging residents in similar illegally constructed buildings to vacate and plan to demolish structures built in violation of regulations.
Two persons were killed and two others injured after a seven-storey under-construction building collapsed in Hyderabad on Saturday.
A fire official involved in the rescue operation told reporters that two bodies had been recovered while clearing the debris of the collapsed building at Anjayya Nagar in Gachibowli.
The two bodies were located using a victim location system device, he said.
The debris fell onto adjacent apartment buildings, damaging them and injuring two persons.
One of the injured was admitted to a hospital. Following the damage to their flats, some residents were forced to vacate the premises.
Residents said they heard a loud sound in the afternoon and found that the under-construction building had collapsed.
Investigation Reveals Construction Violations
Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency Commissioner A V Ranganath, who visited the site, said the building, comprising seven storeys and a penthouse, was being constructed on a plot measuring about 50-60 square yards.
Ranganath said the two deceased were workers. He said the collapsed building and some other structures in the vicinity had been constructed near a 'nala' (drain) and without mandatory setbacks, among other alleged violations.
HYDRAA and the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation would work together to demolish buildings constructed in violation of the rules, Ranganath said.
He urged residents of buildings constructed in violation of the rules to vacate them, saying such structures had been built on plots measuring only 50-60 square yards.
Authorities Vow Action Against Illegal Structures
Ranganath said there was information that the owner of the collapsed building was involved in constructing similar structures in violation of the rules, including buildings used as commercial hostels for IT employees and others.
HYDRAA would examine the owner's role and work with the CMC to demolish such structures, he said.
CMC Commissioner G Srijana, who also visited the site, said the building had been seized four months ago, but construction work resumed on Friday.
It collapsed before officials could take further action, she said. The commissioner said action would be taken against such structures.
