<p>Five people, including a toddler, were killed when a dilapidated housing complex where they were living collapsed at Adugodi on Tuesday morning.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The nearly 60-year-old complex is located in Jai Krishnappa Compound, a cluster of about 50 one-room tenements.<br /><br />The deceased had been identified as Bhola Singh, 22, his younger brother Malkhan Singh, 19, their neighbours Padma, 43, Manjula, 50, and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Savita.<br /><br />Rajbir Singh, the elder brother of Bhola Singh and Malkhan Singh, was rescued by the public and rushed to Bowring Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and discharged. Another injured, Ratnamma, has suffered a fracture on her limb and is being treated at the same hospital.<br /><br />The building housed a godown on the ground floor and three one-room tenements on the first floor. The incident also led to the collapse of two rows of asbestos-roofed houses adjoining the building on either side. Two families occupied the three houses on the first floor and the godown was vacant. About 12 people were living in the adjoining rows of houses that collapsed subsequently. Most of them had left for work early in the morning.<br /><br />K U Ramesh, the chief fire officer who led the rescue operations, said they were alerted about the incident at 9 am after which a rescue operation was launched in full swing. The rescuers retrieved the bodies of Bhola Singh, Malkhan Singh and Savita from under the debris shortly after. Earthmovers and excavators were deployed to demolish the building and clear the debris. Later in the afternoon, the bodies of two other women—Padma, 43, and Manjula, 50—were recovered.<br /><br />Rameshsaid all the residents of the buildingwere accounted for and the chances of the toll going up were remote. The mud building lacked maintenanceandincessant<br />rain in the last two days might have led to its collapse.<br /><br />One of the survivors, Rajbir Singh, in his statement to the Adugodi police said he was living with his three brothers in a rented house for the past one year and the housing complex came crashing down around 8:45 am.<br /><br />Kamal Pant, Additional Commissioner(Law&Order), said that based on the complaint,<br />police have registered a case of “death due to negligence” under Section 304A of<br />the Indian Penal Code against the owner of the building Jai Krishnappa. However, he has not been arrested as he is reportedly hospitalised for a diabetes- related complaint. Mayor B S Sathyanarayana visited the site and announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the family of the deceased. ThePalikewill issue notices to all dilapidated buildings andthose that are40years old, he said.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Five people, including a toddler, were killed when a dilapidated housing complex where they were living collapsed at Adugodi on Tuesday morning.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The nearly 60-year-old complex is located in Jai Krishnappa Compound, a cluster of about 50 one-room tenements.<br /><br />The deceased had been identified as Bhola Singh, 22, his younger brother Malkhan Singh, 19, their neighbours Padma, 43, Manjula, 50, and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Savita.<br /><br />Rajbir Singh, the elder brother of Bhola Singh and Malkhan Singh, was rescued by the public and rushed to Bowring Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and discharged. Another injured, Ratnamma, has suffered a fracture on her limb and is being treated at the same hospital.<br /><br />The building housed a godown on the ground floor and three one-room tenements on the first floor. The incident also led to the collapse of two rows of asbestos-roofed houses adjoining the building on either side. Two families occupied the three houses on the first floor and the godown was vacant. About 12 people were living in the adjoining rows of houses that collapsed subsequently. Most of them had left for work early in the morning.<br /><br />K U Ramesh, the chief fire officer who led the rescue operations, said they were alerted about the incident at 9 am after which a rescue operation was launched in full swing. The rescuers retrieved the bodies of Bhola Singh, Malkhan Singh and Savita from under the debris shortly after. Earthmovers and excavators were deployed to demolish the building and clear the debris. Later in the afternoon, the bodies of two other women—Padma, 43, and Manjula, 50—were recovered.<br /><br />Rameshsaid all the residents of the buildingwere accounted for and the chances of the toll going up were remote. The mud building lacked maintenanceandincessant<br />rain in the last two days might have led to its collapse.<br /><br />One of the survivors, Rajbir Singh, in his statement to the Adugodi police said he was living with his three brothers in a rented house for the past one year and the housing complex came crashing down around 8:45 am.<br /><br />Kamal Pant, Additional Commissioner(Law&Order), said that based on the complaint,<br />police have registered a case of “death due to negligence” under Section 304A of<br />the Indian Penal Code against the owner of the building Jai Krishnappa. However, he has not been arrested as he is reportedly hospitalised for a diabetes- related complaint. Mayor B S Sathyanarayana visited the site and announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the family of the deceased. ThePalikewill issue notices to all dilapidated buildings andthose that are40years old, he said.<br /><br /></p>
