The removal of debris from the site of the collapsed Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) building in Tiruvottiyur and the demolition of the conjoined structure were stopped on Tuesday, as the exercise was reportedly having an impact on nearby buildings.
One wing of the ‘D’ block of the tenements on Village Street in Tiruvottiyur collapsed on Monday. The residents of the adjacent ‘C’ and ‘E’ blocks said they felt that their buildings were mildly shaky on Tuesday morning, when the earthmoving equipment were at work to remove the debris.
P. Omana, a resident of the ‘E’ block, said plastering from the ceilings flaked and fell off.
“We felt there were new cracks in the building,” she said, adding that a portion of a sun shade from the ‘F’ block also fell off. D. Seema, a resident of the ‘C’ block, said they also felt some impact, and almost everyone from the building rushed out.
T.M. Thaniyarasu, a local DMK functionary, who helped evacuate everyone before the building collapsed, said the debris removal work was immediately stopped after the residents reported the impact. “The plan was to remove the debris gradually and help the residents of the collapsed 28 units salvage their belongings to the extent possible. However, the work was stopped after it posed a risk to adjacent buildings,” he said.
A senior official from TNUHDB said the work will resume after the technical committee, formed to evaluate the quality of the remaining buildings at the site, submits its report.
