The Chandigarh Administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collapse of a building in Industrial Area, Phase 2, that claimed two lives, while no police case has been registered so far.
Speaking to The Tribune, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the two-storey building came down on Saturday evening while renovation work was under way. Rescue operations were launched immediately by the Administration, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joining the effort.
Six people were trapped under the debris. Four were pulled out with injuries and taken to hospital. Two later died.
The SDM (East) has been asked to inquire into the incident and determine the cause of the collapse. The building branch of the Estate Office and the engineering department of the Chandigarh Administration will assist the inquiry, Yadav said.
He said such incidents raised concerns over the safety of old and dilapidated structures. The building branch of the Estate Office will identify unsafe residential, commercial and industrial buildings and take appropriate action, he said, and asked citizens to report any unsafe structures to the Administration.
SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said no police case has been registered in connection with the incident. She said the families of the two deceased had not approached police with a complaint, as they were themselves the custodians of the building. No complaint has been received from any other quarter either, she said. A case will be registered only if a complaint is received, she added.
The building, located near The Fern in Industrial Area, Phase 2, was reported by eyewitnesses to have collapsed suddenly on Saturday evening, trapping workers and the building’s owners inside.
Four people were rescued initially and taken to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32; two more were later pulled from the debris. Rescue operations continued for more than five hours. Officials said the building was old and undergoing renovation at the time.
