Chandigarh: Old Mehfil Hotel building collapses in Sector 17

No casualty as building was evacuated a week ago after cracks were detected in three load-bearing pillars during ongoing repair work.

A major tragedy was averted when the old Mehfil Hotel building in Sector 17 collapsed early on Monday morning. The building was unoccupied at the time of the incident and no injuries have been reported.

The building that collapsed in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Monday morning. No one was injured as the area had been cordoned off for the past week after cracks were detected in three load-bearing pillars. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

A week ago, cracks were detected in three load-bearing pillars of the building during the ongoing repair work.

The pillars were found to be structurally compromised, with bent iron reinforcements (sariya) further indicating their instability. The building is privately owned.

Acting on these observations, a joint team of the Chandigarh administration and the UT Police inspected the site, got the premises evacuated, and cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure.

“All roads leading to the building had been barricaded to ensure public safety a week ago,” said UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur.

The Chandigarh administration is now assessing the damage to nearby buildings to determine if they have been affected by the collapse.

A detailed report on the structural impact will be prepared by the deputy commissioner’s office.

The incident comes nearly two weeks after a three-storeyed building collapsed at Sohana in neighbouring Mohali, claiming two lives.