Seven-storey building collapses in Hyderabad's Madhapur, two dead

A seven-storey under-construction building collapsed in Anjaiah Nagar in Madhapur on Saturday afternoon. Officials of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) said at least two person died in the incident and rescue teams are searching for other possible victims.

Upon learning about the incident, Madhapur police and HYDRAA personnel rushed to the spot. It is learnt that the building was being constructed on a 50-square-yard plot and that construction had reportedly been halted some time ago. While some workers were present at the site on Saturday afternoon, the building suddenly collapsed.

Initially, officials believed there was no one inside the structure. However, when HYDRAA personnel began clearing the debris, they found a body trapped under the rubble. "We suspect there could be one more person under the debris. Our personnel are searching for him," HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath said. The impact of the collapse also affected a few adjacent buildings.

Speaking on the incident, Congress MLA Arekapudi Gandhi alleged that the construction was unauthorised and had earlier been halted by municipal authorities. "In Madhapur division, the illegal seven-storey under-construction building was stopped by officials for four months. They recently restarted the construction work illegally. The cellar work was being extended to the adjacent building connected to the seven-storey structure, which led to its sudden collapse," Gandhi said.

Gandhi further said, "People must understand the risks of illegal constructions. Some people are profiting through such illegal constructions. Many such illegal constructions are going on in Serilingampally. We are seizing buildings, but they are not following the norms. A similar incident had happened earlier, and now it has happened again," he added.