One person was injured when a portion of the ceiling of a shelter at MGR Bus Stand at Mattuthavani in the city fell on him on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old man, Krishnamoorthy from Palanganatham, who suffered injuries to his shoulder, was rushed to hospital.
A staff at the Aavin booth near the building said the incident occurred around 4.45 p.m.
M. Bala, a travel agent who witnessed the incident, said a bike parked next to the victim was damaged in the incident. “Had a child or an elderly person been in his place, they would have sustained fatal injuries.”
He demanded immediate renovation of the building.
There was no visible residue of the accident, at least unless one looked up. The ceiling in the building was chipped at many places, exposing the iron rods. According to sources, the building was built around 2000.
The public was allowed to pass through the spot minutes after the debris was cleared. The area was neither barricaded nor roped off to prevent movement of commuters under that part of the building by the authorities concerned even after the incident. Later the debris collected from the site was dumped at a few potholes on the road opposite the building.
The incident occurred a day after Madurai Corporation issued a release stating that owners of over 100-year-old dilapidated buildings in all 100 wards of the city had been issued demolition notices. The old buildings not only posed a threat to shops and establishments next to them, but also to passers by. The measure had been taken to prevent any fatalities or general damage.
A total of 571 old buildings, including houses and business establishments, had been identified in all 100 wards within the Corporation limits. The breakup of the buildings was: 99 buildings in ward 1, 148 buildings in ward 2, 104 and 220 buildings in wards 3 and 4 respectively. If the owners of the buildings failed to act on the notice, they would be fined and the Corporation would carry out the demolition, the release added.
Mayor Indrani Ponvasanth sought the cooperation of the people in the demolition of such buildings for the welfare of the public.
