Nine people have been discharged while four are undergoing treatment at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), said district surgeon Prem Kumar here on Wednesday. They were admitted to hospital after the Sahakara Bhavan community hall collapsed on Tuesday.
“We were working on the roof at a height of 40 ft when four circular beams and centring material collapsed on us,” said Anand, who is from Andhra Pradesh. He, along with David, Santi and Isaac, is undergoing treatment at HIMS. Dr. Kumar received Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) president G. Somasekhar Reddy at the hospital.Mr. Reddy said that the KMF would bear the medical expenses of all the injured workers, even though they were not KMF employees.
He also paid Rs. 5,000 each to the injured and said the KMF would pay them their wages till they recovered.
Why the collapse?
A string of factors, such as lack of supervision, use of substandard steel and beginning the work before curing of pillars, led to the collapse of the Rs. 6.6-crore building that was under construction by the KMF in Hosakoppalu, agreed Mr. Reddy.
He said he had already faxed the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to send a technical team to inspect the building. No construction will be permitted till the report is received, he added.
Action would also be initiated against the KMF staff for negligence in supervision, Mr. Reddy said. Criminal case has already been registered against the contractor and the construction company.
TCI Constructions, Hyderabad, had started the work in 2008 with Hegde & Hegde, Bangalore, architects, and Nagesh Associates for structural engineering supervision. The building was to be handed over in August 2010. Sixty per cent of the construction was completed and the company was paid Rs. 3.7 crore (out of the total Rs. 6.6 crore).Mr. Reddy said efforts had been made to clear the debris before his arrival. The inspection of these pillars showed that poor-quality steel and no cement was used. He said he had directed the KMF Managing Director not to shift pillars or the debris till the IISc. technical team arrived.
Child labour
On the complaint that child labour was engaged in the construction, Mr. Reddy said he would write to the Labour Commissioner, Bangalore, to look into it.
