A three-storey building housing around 60 labourers at Lakkasandra in South Bengaluru collapsed on Monday morning, minutes after all of them left for work.
The building, said to be more than 60 years old, was in a dilapidated state and had developed cracks after the recent rains. Adjoining buildings were damaged when the structure came crashing down, but there were no casualties.
The BBMP filed a complaint against the owner of the building for renting it out to Namma Metro labourers despite its poor condition.
Fire and Emergency Services personnel and NDRF evacuated people from the area as a safety measure.
“We could see the plaster from the walls falling down by 10 am. We alerted the residents and evacuated the neighbours,” said Azmathulla Sharief, who stays in the opposite building. Raghu, another resident, said, “The moment we spotted the signs, we moved out all the vehicles, evacuated residents and cordoned off the area.”
The police have taken up a case under IPC Section 336 and are investigating the incident.
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