Fortunately, the bride and the groom, Swapna and Chandrasekhar, had a providential escape at the start of a new phase in their life as the wall of the function hall caved in right behind them, killing four guests.
“Had it been the other side, it could have been much more tragic, as more people were surging towards the couple to bless them after they tied the knot,” said bride’s cousin K. Srinivas.
Mr. Srinivas was busy serving lunch to guests when he heard the deafening sound followed by the entire hall covered with a cloud of dust. “I was shocked and rushed towards the stage to check what had happened and shifted the couple to a safe place,” he said.
Speaking to The Hindu , the bride’s father, Sadanand, a tea-stall owner from New Nallakunta, said that tragedy struck when he and other family members were on the stage. “We were frightened and nothing was visible. I cannot imagine what could have happened if the wall fell inside the hall, where we were standing,” he said.
He said that his daughter’s wedding was the first marriage ceremony after the hall was renovated. “When we came to book the hall a month ago, works were going on and the owner told me that the hall will be ready by then,” he said.
After her lunch, M. Vijayalaxmi, a homemaker, was sitting in an auto in the parking area when the wall collapsed. She was waiting for her husband, M. Yadagiri Yadav, who was having his lunch then.
Her daughter Shailaja said that her brother informed her about the incident over the phone.
Ms. Vijayalaxmi’s brother said that she visited her house in Neredmet for lunch. Another victim Krishnaiah’s brother Mahesh said, “I spoke with him on Saturday night but was not aware of his plans to attend the function.”
