Lko’s Transport Nagar building collapse - Unauthorised, substandard construction led to fall: Report
72-page NFSU report also asks authorities to conduct mandatory inspections at key construction stages to ensure adherence to plans
The collapse of a three-storey building in Transport Nagar on September 7, last year, has been attributed to unauthorised construction and substandard materials, according to a detailed forensic report submitted to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).

The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, tasked with investigating the tragedy, which left eight dead and 28 people injured, handed over its findings in a 72-page report after five months of analysis.
The NFSU report, which is in the possession of Hindustan Times, reveals that the building, originally sanctioned for only a ground floor and a first floor, had also a second floor constructed illegally. This addition violated the building plan approved by the LDA and severely compromised the structure’s stability. Further aggravating the problem, the required setback margins were not maintained, and the building had been in use without a completion certificate or building-use permission, exposing years of regulatory negligence.
The use of poor quality construction materials also played a significant role in the collapse. Concrete samples from the site were found to have compressive strength (amount of pressure a concrete mixture can withstand before breaking) far below the Indian Standards mandated M20 grade (a concrete mix that is used for moderate strength construction), making the structure vulnerable to failure. Similarly, steel reinforcements failed to meet the required Fe 415 standard (high strength structural steel). The structural audit also found that essential components such as column ties (also known as lateral ties used to hold the longitudinal bars in place in a column) were not designed or constructed according to prescribed norms, weakening the building’s load-bearing capacity.
The forensic report revealed that the unauthorised second floor, combined with the storage of heavy materials such as engine oil containers and medicine supplies, created a load far beyond what the ground-floor columns could bear. Additionally, investigators found that the South-West corner of the building was structurally linked to an adjacent property, further increasing the risk of failure due to unequal load distribution.
A glaring lack of oversight and documentation further contributed to the disaster. During the investigation, no construction drawings including plans, sections, and structural details were found for review. Critical inspections at various construction stages, such as during foundation, plinth, and floor-level construction, were either skipped or lacked proper records. Despite these violations, no revised building plans were submitted for approval, signalling gross negligence on the part of those responsible for overseeing the construction.
The forensic team highlighted multiple lapses by the LDA in enforcing regulations. The absence of regular monitoring allowed the builder to do as he pleased without any consequences. Furthermore, the failure to conduct structural audits at critical stages allowed the building’s deficiencies to go unnoticed for years, ultimately leading to the collapse.
The NFSU report has called for immediate reforms to prevent similar tragedies in future. It emphasises the need for stricter enforcement of building by-laws and compliance with structural safety norms. The report recommends that the authorities (LDA) conduct mandatory inspections at key construction stages to ensure adherence to approved plans. It also calls for maintaining proper written and digital records of these inspections to enhance accountability.
Additionally, the report suggests that all construction approvals must include the submission of structural drawings, in addition to architectural and functional plans. Only registered professionals, such as architects, civil engineers, and structural engineers, should be allowed to oversee construction projects, with their approval required for all structural designs before work begins. The forensic team also stressed that any modifications to the approved plans during construction must receive prior approval from the concerned authorities.
The report also highlights the need for authorities (LDA) to issue completion and building-use permission certificates in a time-bound manner to avoid delays and unauthorised occupancy.
The NFSU also called for a detailed study of existing buildings to identify deficiencies and use these findings to improve current building norms. If implemented effectively, these recommendations could significantly reduce the risk of structural failures and enhance safety in urban construction.
The LDA now faces the challenge of enforcing these recommendations to ensure the safety of future construction projects and prevent such avoidable tragedies.
