Two injured as balconies on three floors collapse in Gurugram’s Sushant Lok-3

Neighbours rescued the homeowner and contractor from the debris and rushed them to Artemis Hospital after the collapse around 12.45pm.

A homeowner and a contractor were injured after portions of balconies on three different floors of a building collapsed sequentially in Sushant Lok Phase-3 on Sunday, fire department officials said.

Residents said several ageing buildings in the colony appear structurally unsafe and called for a comprehensive survey by authorities. (HT)

According to officials, the incident occurred around 12.45pm when the two were inspecting the second-floor balcony, which had developed cracks. During the inspection, a portion of the second-floor balcony collapsed, followed by portions of the first-floor and ground-floor balconies, trapping the duo under the debris.

The homeowner, Kanhaiya Lal Yadav, was seriously injured, while contractor Pawan also sustained injuries.

“Emergency vehicles were deployed as soon as we received information about the incident. The two injured persons had already been rescued by neighbours and taken to a nearby hospital,” said an official.

Pawan Yadav, resident welfare association (RWA) president of Sushant Lok (phases-2 and 3), said the collapse of the second-floor balcony triggered a domino effect.

“As the two checked the structure, a portion of the second-floor balcony suddenly collapsed, triggering a domino effect that brought down portions of the first-floor and ground-floor balconies. The duo was caught in the debris. They were rescued by neighbours, who called an ambulance and took them to Artemis Hospital,” said Pawan Yadav.

“This is a serious structural accident where the chhajja (projected balcony/sunshade) reportedly collapsed, leaving two people severely injured,” said Pawan Yadav.

The second-floor balcony collapsed during an inspection, bringing down portions of the balconies on the floors below, officials said. (HT)

Meanwhile, local residents described the incident as serious and raised concerns about the structural condition of other buildings in the colony. They feared a similar incident could recur because several structurally weak houses exist in the area.

According to residents, many houses in the colony are over two-decade old and in poor condition. They said the authorities must take note of the issue and take corrective measures.

“There are around 20 buildings in the colony, which appear to be either ‘tilted’ or structurally unsafe. The department of town and country planning should conduct a comprehensive survey and identify such buildings or else the district administration should create a portal to lodge complaints,” the RWA president added.

An official from the department of town and country planning, meanwhile, said they will look into the matter, though they were yet to receive a complaint in this matter.