There was panic at the busy Mantri Square in Malleswaram on Monday after parapets in the rear of the mall collapsed, injuring at least two persons. Thousands of shoppers and cinema-goers were evacuated from the mall, which will remain closed until the structural integrity of the complex is checked.
Around 1.45 p.m., the concrete slabs of the roof of the fourth floor of the mall collapsed, setting off a domino effect as the debris and slabs fell on the lower floors and the empty space behind the mall, also damaging the BMRCL compound wall near Sampige Road metro station.
Two housekeepers, who were working on the first floor, were injured when the slabs collapsed on them while they were cleaning a service corridor. Lakshmamma (44) suffered major injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, while Sarojamma suffered bruises. Fortunately, the area was closed to most mall-goers and employees and was used only sparingly for maintenance, said mall officials.
Security personnel and the police rushed to evacuate those inside the mall — estimated to be above 2,000, considering the “slow” rush on Monday afternoon. Ongoing film shows were also cancelled midway and the subsequent shows were called off. Soon, Fire and Emergency Services personnel cordoned off the mall and combed through the debris to confirm no one else was trapped inside.
“So far, we have not filed a case. We will take the statements of the injured and then decide the future course of action,” said Labhu Ram, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).
Water leak suspected
With the whole mall under scrutiny, officials of Mantri Group rushed structural engineers to the gauge the damage. The damaged portion is below a water tank and it is suspected that water leakage led to the collapse. “The portion is beyond the building called a cantilever, beyond the structural columns of the building. There is no problem with the kind of sand used for the construction. We will technically evaluate the reason for the collapse,” said Gururaj T.S., consulting engineer for Mantri Group.
Palangappa, BBMP Joint Commissioner, West Zone, said prima facie the collapse seemed to be triggered by the water leakage. “The entire wall and roof was wet and the corridor flooded with water,” he said.
A senior BBMP engineer, who inspected the spot, said the collapse had nothing to do with the renovation work in the theatre on the third floor of the mall, as the two were at the opposite ends of the corridor of the same floor. “The main building has not suffered much damage or developed any cracks. But the plaster walls erected to make divisions inside the mall have been severely damaged,” he said.
Occupancy Certificate withdrawn
The BBMP has temporarily withdrawn the Occupancy Certificate (OC) granted to Mantri Square.
Mayor G. Padmavathi, who visited the mall along with BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad on Monday, issued directions to withdraw the OC until the completion of the restoration work and structural inspection of the building by experts from the civic body. Mr. Prasad said the building would also be checked for any building bylaw violations. A probe has been ordered into the incident.
Meanwhile, the group said the mall would remain closed indefinitely. “We are taking up a thorough investigation of the incident. The mall will be closed until we are absolutely certain [of the structural safety of the complex],” said Aditya Sikri, Chief Executive Officer of Propcare Mall Management and Commercial Leasing.
