Narrow escape for families in Bengaluru as portion of building collapses amidst neighbour's construction work

Nearly half of the floor sank, likely due to damage to the foundation caused by a neighboring construction work.

Bengaluru: A family residing in a two-storey building in Bengaluru’s Central Business District (CBD) had a narrow escape on Wednesday evening when a section of the foundation collapsed, causing the structure to tilt dangerously.

Nearly half of the floor sank, likely due to foundation damage caused by construction work at the neighbouring site.

The building, located opposite the Shri Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple on New Thippasandra Road, housed a handicraft and brass artefacts shop on the ground floor, while a family of four lived on the first floor.

"For a moment, I thought it was an earthquake," said Susheela M, a tenant. "We were having tea and watching TV around 4.30 pm when part of the building suddenly sank. The force was so strong that the bed shifted, knocking my son over. Thankfully, no one was hurt," she added.

Susheela, her husband Kumar, and their two children have lived there for seven years. Her daughter, still shaken, said, "My hands are trembling."

As firefighters prepared to demolish the building, the family requested time to retrieve important documents before the structure was brought down.

What caused the collapse?

Preliminary investigations suggest that excavation work at the adjacent construction site may have compromised the foundation. The neighbouring property had recently completed its foundation work and was installing steel structures.

Eyewitnesses suspect negligence during excavation, possibly due to improper use of earthmovers.

However, a BBMP official at the site defended the builder, stating that the construction followed proper setback regulations and was being handled by a reputable contractor. Senior BBMP officials confirmed that the entire building would be demolished by night, with earthmovers and tractors deployed to clear the debris.

Officials also noted that the collapsed building may have been weakened after the neighbouring property dug a five-foot trench to lay its foundation.

The landlord of the affected building is based in Chennai, tenants said.

Loose soil a possible factor

S Abhilash Reddy, a former councillor, said the area — now known as HAL 3rd Stage — was once a lake, making the soil inherently unstable.

"The soil here is loose. We do not know how deep the foundation of the affected house was," he said.

Reddy and local officials are assisting residents in retrieving their belongings before the demolition.

Fire department personnel, who arrived by 5 pm, confirmed that the structure posed a serious risk and would be demolished immediately to ensure public safety.