Guntur: An empty three-storey building collapsed at Mani hotel center on Nandivelugu road in Guntur on Saturday evening. The Guntur municipal corporation recently started widening roads and removing encroachments. A majority of the buildings encroached the GMC land and officials directed building owners to remove the structures by issuing notices. The building owners removed the parts that were encroaching GMC land and repaired the rest of the part.
N. Narasimha Rao removed the front portion of his building constructed on the encroached land and later constructed two floors on his 12-year-old building. GMC started constructing side drains to expand the roads from 60 feet to 120 feet width.
The building of Narasimha Rao started shaking on Saturday evening and noticing it, they sensed danger and rushed to take cover. Within minutes the building collapsed and people nearby ran from the spot while others filmed the entire episode on their mobile phones.
GMC officials claimed that there were no pillars for the ground floor and Narasimha Rao constructed two other floors on the building which led to the collapse of the structure. GMC Commissioner Ch. Anuradha said, “The GMC had already issued notices to encroachers to remove their structures but this building owner constructed two more floors without any support and hence stern action would be taken against him.”
She said that an inquiry committee would be appointed to inquire into the incident and the GMC would take requisite action once the report comes in. Ms Anuradha said that the GMC will issue notices to all old buildings which are on the verge of collapsing. Ms Anuradha, GMC addl commissioner K. Ramachandra Reddy, and officials visited the site.
