Alaya apartment tragedy: Affected ones asked to record statement before commissioner’s probe panel

Lucknow divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob instructed the team to find out the reason for the incident and submit their recommendations regarding the building soon.

The inquiry committee set up by Lucknow divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob to probe the January 24 collapse of the Alaya Apartment at Wazir Hasan Road in the Uttar Pradesh capital that claimed three lives has called the affected families to record their statements before it at the divisional commissioner’s office at 10:30 am on January 31 (Tuesday).

The SDRF team recovering household items at the site of collapsed Alaya Apartment at Wazir Hasan Road in the Uttar Pradesh capital. (H T FILE PHOTO)

The divisional commissioner said a joint team of the chief engineer (building), PWD, and Lucknow Development Authority’s engineer had been formed who along with the entire team visited the spot and took samples from there.

Jacob instructed the team to find out the reason for the incident and submit their recommendations regarding the building soon. She further said the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will present all records before the inquiry committee from 2009 when the map for the building was rejected and when the demolition order for it was passed.

She said the LDA VC was ordered to form a committee of experts in LDA Board meeting so that such incidents did not occur in future. The divisional commissioner said the team of experts will recommend the structural audit of the buildings.