Four-storey house collapses near Shimla

Anticipating its collapse, the building was vacated in advance to prevent loss of life and property, officials said

A four-storied building along with its attic collapsed in a village in the Dhami area here on Saturday, damaging the road leading to a government college and hitting traffic movement, officials said.However, no loss of life was reported in the incident as all the residents were evacuated in advance and the electric connections of the building were disconnected, they added.

The house, owned by one Raj Kumar, was sinking and the base columns of the building had developed cracks, the officials said. (HT Photo)

The incident took place around 12 pm at 16 Mile in Marahwag village here. The house, owned by one Raj Kumar, was sinking and the base columns of the building had developed cracks, the officials said.

Anticipating its collapse, the building was vacated in advance to prevent loss of life and property, they added.

The road leading to Government Degree College in Dhami was partially damaged. A team of the local administration reached the spot to assess the losses, said Shimla superintendent of police Sanjeev Gandhi.

“The administration had received reports that t the building could cave in any time, as a precautionary measure it was evacuated two days back . So far, we have not found any criminal negligence behind the incident,” said deputy commissioner Aditya Negi.