Four-storeyed building collapses in Surat, no casualty

SURAT: A four-storeyed building collapsed on Thursday but there were no casualties as fire brigade had evacuated the occupants in time.

Firdosh Guest House, located in the Kamela Darwaja area, was found tilted by its occupants on Thursday morning. Occupants called fire brigade and the entire building was evacuated, fire brigade officials said.

Later in the day, the building, which had two big hoardings atop it, collapsed.

A team of the Surat Municipal Corporation has started an investigation into the collapse as the building was constructed in early 1980s, official sources said.

"Initially we have found that the structural engineering of the building was not up to the mark," officials taking part in the investigation said.

"The two huge hoardings erected atop the building might have also created pressure on its foundation," they said.

The diamond city was inundated with massive floods last monsoon and that also could have weakened the building's foundation, the officials added.

However, they said it would take some time to establish the exact reason for the collapse.

Work is going on to remove the debris and the traffic in the area has been restored, the officials added.