Two people dead in building collapse in Indore; CM announces assistance

Indore, Sep 23 (PTI) Two people from a family died after a three-story building collapsed following rains in Indore's Ranipura area on Monday night while 12 others were injured, officials said.

A five-hour rescue operation ended early Tuesday morning, and 12 people trapped under the debris were pulled out and admitted to the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital (MYH).

The incident took place in a densely populated commercial area. The deceased were identified as Alifa (20) and Fahimuddin Ansari alias Fahim (40).

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav condoled the deaths in a post on X. "I have directed for the immediate family members to receive financial assistance of two lakh rupees each from the Chief Minister's Voluntary Fund. I pray for peace for the departed souls and speedy recovery of the injured," he wrote.

Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of the Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that one of the 12 injured persons was discharged, while the condition of the remaining 11 patients was stable.

The local administration launched an investigation into the incident. An Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) official stated that preliminary investigations revealed structural defects in the construction that caused rainwater to accumulate and leak into the building's basement.

There was a dispute between three brothers of the family which owned the building over the ancestral property, due to which maintenance of the basement was neglected, he said.

Electrical goods businessman Shashank Gupta, who had rented a front room in the building for use as a warehouse, told PTI he had told owner Sammu Ansari that it could collapse any moment. But the warning was not heeded, he claimed.

Rainwater flowing down the Jawahar Marg which entered the basement and burrowing by rats caused the building's foundation to weaken over a period of time, Gupta said.

Mohammad Amil Ansari, who lives nearby, also said that the landlord had been warned by the tenants about the danger.

"Eight members of Ansari's family were outside at the time of the collapse. Had they been inside, the tragedy could have been even worse," he said. PTI HWP MAS KRK