A part of an under-construction school building that collapsed in Anekal, Bengaluru Rural district, on Friday.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Part of an under-construction school building collapsed in Anekal in Bengaluru Rural district on Friday morning, claiming two lives and injuring 13.
The deceased Minal Biswas (43) and Sayeed Ali Mandal (31), both from West Bengal, were working on the portico of the under-construction St Ann’s School when the incident occurred. The other victims are also from West Bengal and surrounding regions.
Police said the collapse happened when the 15 workers were engaged in masonry work. Sources in the fire and emergency department said they received a call for help at 8.50 am.
“When fire personnel, including senior officials, reached the spot, locals told them that the bodies had been recovered and the injured have been moved to different hospitals in the city,” said a senior official.
During the collapse, five people were suspected to have been buried under the rubble, while 10 were above ground.
“They placed two loads of concrete on the top. We suspect the structure could not hold the weight. There was no equal distribution of weight and the quality of the supporting columns appeared inadequate,” the fire official said, adding that an official report is awaited.
A senior police officer said five of the injured have been treated at Victoria Hospital, while the others with minor injuries had been discharged.
Anekal police registered a case under IPC Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and are probing further.