Inappropriate design, lack of support caused accident: Expert

The freak mishap that killed three people in central Bengaluru on Wednesday has turned the spotlight on builders and engineers violating structural norms for buildings in the city.

DH managed to source CCTV footage from a furniture store, adjoining the building showed. It showed that around 10.30 pm on Wednesday, wall debris and water showered on the footpath, causing havoc in a matter of seconds. Three people were killed on the spot and others standing in the vicinity to eat dinner at a street vendor's stall on the footpath were injured.

A visit to the site in the aftermath of the accident shows that the two tanks were placed on a concrete platform supported by only two pillars on one side. This could have caused an imbalance in weight, as a major portion of the base of both tanks was unsupported.

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The platform or slab was also dangerously close to the parapet, which led to the wall breaking and crashing down after the two tanks supposedly burst.

Speaking to DH, Srikanth S Channal, management committee member, ACCE (I), said, the accident was due to what is called a 'cantilever failure'. "Upon observing the cracked portion of the slab, it is evident that the steel reinforcement was not provided on the upper portion of the slab, which is incorrect," he said, adding that the overhead tank structure had an inappropriate design that put too much pressure on one side of the slab.

He placed the onus on the building owner for failure to consult a structural engineer before building the platform for the two tanks. "It is essential that a civil engineer or a structural engineer is involved in every aspect of designing and constructing all types of buildings according to the National Building Code of India, 2016," he said.

Musthafa Mangalore, the floor manager at Imperial restaurant, an eyewitness who helped admit the victims to Bowring Hospital, told DH that there were fewer people than usual that night.

"There are at least 15 people on any given night who come to eat there. The owner cannot be held completely responsible because it was the job of the engineer to ensure the tanks were properly supported," he said.