Building collapses in Gzb’s Pandav Nagar, none hurt

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) officials Tuesday sought a report from zonal officers about a two-storeyed building that collapsed in Pandav

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) officials Tuesday sought a report from zonal officers about a two-storeyed building that collapsed in Pandav Nagar, near Kavi Nagar industrial area, on Tuesday morning. The officials said the building was vacant at the time of the incident and no injury or casualty was reported.

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According to authority officials, the building had come up in an unregulated area and is suspected to have been constructed in an unauthorised manner. After the building collapsed on Tuesday morning, teams of police and the eighth battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the site.

“Our two teams rushed to the site along with a dog squad and they cleared the area within an hour. No one was found under the rubble. It is suspected that the building collapsed late Monday night as there was no sign of the collapse being a fresh one,” an officer from the NDRF said.

GDA vice-chairperson Kanchan Verma said she has directed her officials to inquire about the owner and other details of the fallen building.

“It is suspected that the building was old and some construction was going on there. Once the inquiry report is submitted, we will take appropriate action against those responsible. If need be, we will lodge an FIR against the owner of the site for the illegal construction. The building stood on the site of an old factory,” Verma said.

Police said the building was two-storeyed and some construction was carried out on the second floor.

“We have not received any complaint in this matter so far. Once we receive a compliant or a direction from the GDA or the district administration, we will lodge an FIR,” Shlok Kumar, superintendent of police (city), said.

District magistrate Dr Ajay Shankar Pandey said he has asked the revenue officials to submit a report on the collapse at the earliest.

“I have also sought a report from the GDA and also asked our revenue officials to submit a report. Appropriate directions will be issued once the report is received. There was no casualty or injury to any person in the incident. The police were asked to cordon off the area,” Pandey said.

The incident comes over a year after a five-storeyed residential building collapsed in Akash Nagar on July 22, 2018, killing two persons and injuring several others. The building was getting constructed in an illegal manner without any clearance or map layout sanction from the authority when the mishap took place.