A major tragedy unfolded in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, after a seven-storey under-construction building collapsed in the Anjaiah Nagar area of Gachibowli. The unfortunate incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals, while two others sustained injuries. Emergency responders and rescue teams rushed to the site immediately following the disaster to launch an intensive rescue operation.
Rescue Operations and Body Recovery
A fire official involved in the rescue operation stated that two bodies were pulled out while clearing the debris of the collapsed structure. The official noted that a victim location system device was deployed to accurately locate and retrieve both bodies from beneath the rubble.
Impact on Neighboring Structures
The debris from the tumbling structure crashed onto adjacent apartment buildings, causing structural damage and injuring two people. One of the injured victims was promptly shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. Faced with compromised living conditions and damaged flats, several residents were forced to evacuate their homes. Local eyewitnesses recounted hearing a loud noise in the afternoon before realizing that the under-construction building had caved in.
Violation of Norms Highlighted
A.V. Ranganath, Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), personally visited the accident site. He pointed out that the structure comprising seven floors and a penthouse was being crammed onto a tiny plot measuring roughly 50 to 60 square yards. He confirmed that both deceased individuals were laborers. Furthermore, he revealed that the collapsed building and several surrounding structures were constructed dangerously close to a drain and without leaving mandatory setbacks between the building and the plot boundary, representing clear violations of building regulations.
Crackdown on Illegal Constructions
Authorities have signaled a zero-tolerance approach toward unauthorized real estate practices. The HYDRAA Commissioner announced that HYDRAA and the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation will work in tandem to demolish buildings erected in violation of civic rules. He urged occupants residing in such unauthorized structures to vacate them immediately, emphasizing that these buildings were haphazardly raised on plots as small as 50-60 square yards. Ranganath added that intelligence suggests the owner of the collapsed building is linked to similar illegal projects, including commercial hostels rented out to IT professionals and others. The agency will investigate the owner's role and coordinate with municipal authorities to pull down such hazards.
Municipal Administration Response
Additionally, CMC Commissioner G. Srijana inspected the disaster site. She disclosed that the building had actually been seized by authorities four months prior, but construction work had bizarrely resumed on Friday. Before officials could enforce further legal measures, the vulnerable structure gave way and collapsed. The commissioner reiterated that strict punitive actions will be taken against all such illegal structures.
