Portion of 3-storey building inside KMF quarters crumbles; none hurt

The dilapidated building was said to be more than 60 years old and residents noticed cracks and parts of the wall plaster falling off since morning

A day after a dilapidated three-story building collapsed in Lakkasandra in South Bengaluru, a portion of another three-story structure located a few meters away caved in on Tuesday morning.

Located on the KMF premises on Dairy Circle, the building was occupied by Bangalore Milk Union Limited (Bamul) staff.

About 40 residents living in 18 houses escaped death by a whisker, even though police said three people suffered minor injuries. The quarters are 60 years old. Residents on Tuesday morning noticed cracks in the building. Soon, the building’s lowest tier sunk into the ground triggering a full-scale collapse.

“Plasters began falling from the wall and cracks on the ground floor walls were visible,” said Rajesh, an occupant of the building. “The security and officials evacuated a few occupants. But when a part of the building began tilting towards the road, most of the residents ran out. Some panicked residents slipped during evacuation and sustained minor injuries.”

Though the casualty count was zero, residents lost several lakhs of rupees worth of properties, including jewellery, furniture and electrical appliances. Rescue workers and KMF officials evacuated them.

KMF Managing Director B C Sathish, who visited the spot, said: “KMF engineers had examined the building in 2016 and certified it as fit for occupation for another 10 years. So we allotted the quarters to our staff. We’ll support the families to shift to a better place.”

Bamul president S N Narasimhamurthy said they had plans to raze the structures and build a new complex. “We didn’t expect the building to crumble so soon. We’ll assess other buildings on the premises. All the 150 families living in the quarters will be evacuated soon and temporary arrangements will be made at Central Training Institute (CTI). We’ll also rent some apartments, if necessary,” he said.

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