Contractor of house which collapsed in Babusabpalya believed to be buried under debris

Public TV English
Public TV English
3 Min Read

BENGALURU: The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction building in Babusabpalya has rised to eight. The Hennur police have arrested Muniraju Reddy, his son Bhuvan Reddy, and Mohan Reddy. Another accused, the building’s contractor, Elumalai, is believed to be buried under the debris and his phone is switched off.

 

The NDRF team and fire brigade resumed rescue operations after a brief break, following 34 hours of continuous search and rescue efforts.

BBMP officials, ministers, MLAs and the Lokayukta have visited the site to assess the situation. Preliminary investigations revealed that locals had warned the BBMP authorities about the poor construction and violations two months ago, but no action was taken.

Meanwhile, BBMP officials and authorities have found that the building owner’s negligence and violations are responsible for the incident.

It has come to light that local residents had written a letter to the BBMP Commissioner and local officials two months ago, warning about the poor construction quality and violations of bylaws. However, the authorities ignored the warning.

The building owner, Muniraju Reddy, had purchased the B-Khata plot measuring 40×60 feet with permission for a single-storey building two years ago. The contractor claimed to the owner that he built this building himself, and the building is very strong. They had planned to build a four-storey apartment on top of the old structure.

After starting the building, they changed plans and built six floors. Apparently, the owner was planning a paying guest accommodation. Muniraju Reddy had given full responsibility to the contractor Mohan Raju for the construction of the building. The apartment was built without proper supervision, leading to the incident.

The contractor, Muniyappa, responsible for constructing the four floors, has also been taken into custody, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police East, D Devaraja.

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