The failure of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in evacuating residents from dilapidated buildings and a landlord’s greed claimed five lives on Tuesday, when a one-storied building collapsed in Adugodi police station limits. The construction of the building had no sanction of the BBMP and the landlord had not paid property tax to the civic body since the property was in dispute.
The deceased are Malkan Singh,19, Bhola Singh,22, Padmamma,45, Manjamma,55, and 18-month-old toddler Savitha. The injured are Rathnamma,48, and Rajveer Singh,18. Both of them were discharged after being given first aid at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. Malkan Singh and Bhola Singh are from Bihar.
The scene at J Krishnappa Compound on Hosur Road, Adugodi, was heartrending with Sujatha, who lost her 18-month old daughter Savitha, weeping inconsolably. “My mother and I went out to make a phone call, leaving Savitha, who had come visiting us, alone in the house. That’s when the building collapsed,” said R Meena, a resident.
Muthu, the youngest son of deceased Padmamma, was clueless about his mother’s whereabouts for a while. “My brother Ramesh had gone to college and I was in the library. I came to know about the incident after returning from the library. I thought my mother was in our other house in Vinayakanagar, but she was not there when I went looking for her,’’ said Ramesh.
Ramesh’s father Selvaraj, a small-time businessman, had gone to their hometown Nazareth in Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, on personal work.
According to police, there was provision for nine families in the ramshackle building. They said three portions were vacant and many of the residents were not in the building when tragedy struck.
Malkan Singh, Bhola Singh, Rajveer Singh and Major were staying in one portion. They used to sell ice-cream for a living. “Major had gone out to a shop when the building collapsed. Rajveer Singh was injured, while Malkan Singh and Bhola Singh died in the building collapse,” said Ravi Shankar who hails from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
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