Two die as portions of Coimbatore railway parcel office building collapse

Steady downpour, strong winds cited as reasons for the incident

The collapse occurred on Goods Shed Road behind the Coimbatore Junction railway station.

Two were killed and one was injured as portions of the Coimbatore railway parcel office building collapsed in the early hours of Thursday.

The collapse occurred at around 3.36 a.m. on Goods Shed Road behind the Coimbatore Junction railway station.

M. Balasubramaniam, district fire officer, Coimbatore North fire station, told

The Hindu that 58 Fire and Rescue Service personnel rushed to the spot after receiving a call at 3.45 a.m.

An injured young man, who was first rescued, told the personnel that two more men were trapped in the debris. By 3.55 a.m., the two were rescued in an unconscious state. However, both of them were pronounced dead at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Heavy downpour

The collapse of a 10-foot brick wall in the complex led to the incident, Mr. Balasubramaniam said, adding that the steady downpour and strong winds might have caused the collapse.

As the roof of the building was made of tin, it caused relatively less damage than a cement roof, which could have made the rescue operations more difficult, he said.

The deceased men were identified as Pavalamani, 50, from Karamadai and Mohammad Ibrahim, 55, according to the railway police. The injured person, Raju, 18, received treatment at CMCH.

According to CMCH authorities, the injured person was discharged by 9 a.m.

However, the relatives of the two deceased men staged a brief protest demanding adequate compensation and employment opportunities for the family members.

Police officers pacified the relatives after hearing their demands, following which, they accepted the mortal remains of the deceased, hospital authorities added.