An abandoned multi-storey building collapsed on two of its adjacent buildings in the capital’s densely populated Shakhari Bazar Tuesday
morning, causing huge suffering to the local people and spreading panic in the area.
Dozens of families in the neighbourhood suffered immensely as utility services were suspended in the area soon after the incident.
A businessman, Jayanta Ghosh Jony, 18, sustained serious injuries while he was passing through the area, his family said.
Jony, who was resident of a nearby building, was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said his uncle Chanchal Ghosh.
Witnesses said the top-floor of five-storey building No.14/A collapsed on two nearby three-storey buildings No. 18 and 19 on Kailash Ghosh Lane while workers were dismantling the five-storey structure at about 8:15am.
Two top floors of the building collapsed while the middle floors tilted on the two nearby buildings.
Residents of the three-storey buildings were trapped as debris from the five-storey building blocked their entrances, said a survivor, Anita Majumder Lipi.
Fire service and civil defence officials and police rushed to the spot and rescued the trapped 30 residents from the two buildings by breaking windows and walls, witnesses said.
The residents suffered minor injuries while being evacuated, said Anita, adding that they thought it was an earthquake after hearing a big bang of the collapse.
The southern unit of the building collapsed as it became imbalanced following demolition of northern unit, the rescuers said.
Major Mohammad Mahbub, the FSCD director (operations), said rescuers had searched inside the building under demolishing and found none.
The Dhaka South City Corporation administrator, Zillar Rahman, who rushed to the spot, told the media that the building was being demolishing in violation of rule.
After the collapse, movement of local people through the area was being hampered because of the scattered debris.
After a meeting at Dhaka deputy commissioner’s office in the afternoon, the authorities concerned asked the DSCC to remove the debris, officials said.
Fazle Elahi Chowdhury Mohan, owner of the house that collapsed, had vacated the flats few months ago as he decided to build a new structure after demolishing the old one, local people said.
Local lawmaker Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and other officials visited the spot while members of army and police, and volunteers of Red Crescent and Red Cross joined the operation.
Courtesy of New Age
