In Anuppur district at least one person died when a four-storey hotel building collapsed and several others feared trapped under the debris.
The incident took place in Kotma, a busy district and close to a bus stand on 5:30-5:50 PM, causing panic among people around and nearby. Initial reports said the building (a hotel structure) went down and a huge cloud of dust and chaos came in.
One fatality has been reported so far with six to seven people believed to be trapped under the rubble, the government said. Emergency response teams were on site and started rescue operations immediately together with local administration and disaster relief personnel.
Cranes and earthmovers have been used to clear up the debris and search for survivors. The collapse was sudden and deadly and people raced for safety as the structure collapsed, eyewitnesses said.
Rescue Operations Underway
There are still rescue teams working to save people and rescue teams working over and over in the last five days to get the trapped people alive. Some wounded people have been rescued and brought to hospitals for treatment and have been taken to medical facilities in the vicinity. There are still those who have been rescued and brought to medical facilities for treatment because officials say the priority is saving lives, but there is still the danger of even more buried under the rubble.
Possible Cause of Collapse
Construction activity close to the hotel may have contributed to the collapse, preliminary evidence suggests. Deep excavation work was going on at an adjacent site, which could have weakened the structure.
The building had started to tilt slightly toward collapse and there were worries about safety and construction practices in the vicinity of the building, local residents said.
Administration Orders Probe
The local administration has ordered an examination into the reason for the incident to find out exactly why and if there is any negligence. Any violations of construction codes or safety regulations will be treated with great seriousness, they said.
Rising Concerns Over Urban Safety
And that’s just more evidence that building safety standards and unregulated construction activities in fast-growing cities are the top concern: The construction sites should be monitored more closely, particularly for excavation work in close proximity to existing buildings, experts said.
There are still rescue operations going on in the night, and we are always working to save people and hold people accountable. The tragedy in Anuppur district shows us how quickly infrastructure failures can go bad and change your life and people’s lives.
