Balcony collapses in luxury Gurugram society; residents demand “structural audit” – Video | Today’s news
A portion of a balcony collapsed in Gurugram’s Sector 37D on Thursday after incessant rains continued overnight into the morning. No injuries were immediately reported.
The incident occurred in Tower E, where residents reported hearing a loud crash after part of a second-floor balcony broke off and fell to the ground. There were no injuries as the apartment was unoccupied at the time.
Police and officials from the local administration arrived at the scene shortly after the collapse. The area was barricaded and a preliminary check was carried out. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine what caused the balcony to give way.
The collapse sparked outrage among residents who accused the builder of alleged negligence. They claimed to have repeatedly raised concerns about poor maintenance and safety standards and even staged a protest at the company last month against the deteriorating state of basic equipment.
“Deeply alarming incident”
After the incident, residents urged the administration to commission an independent third-party structural audit — a thorough technical evaluation of the stability of an entire apartment complex — arguing that the safety of all towers must be thoroughly evaluated before they can be considered structurally sound.
“This is a deeply alarming incident. Although the apartment was unoccupied, the falling debris could have seriously injured residents passing below. The collapse also damaged a pillar, raising concerns about the structural safety of the entire tower. We will file a police complaint and seek an inquiry from the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTP),” said Hemant Kumar, president of the Residents’ Welfare Association (PTI. Welfare Association).
The incident has fueled calls from residents for accountability from the builder, along with a comprehensive assessment of the project’s structural safety, even as authorities continue to investigate.
Gurugram is raining
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rainfall in Gurugram in the coming days after heavy downpours lashed the city on Thursday morning, leading to widespread waterlogging and major traffic disruptions.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace on several key routes, including the service lane of the Delhi-Jaipur Highway near Narsinghpur, Basai, Kadipur and Sohna Road, with several vehicles breaking down after getting stuck in waterlogged stretches.
Residents also reported several rain-related incidents across the city. A cyclist reportedly fell into a pit dug for a sewer line in Feroze Gandhi Colony, while a cow was injured after it slipped into another excavation site on Wednesday. In a separate incident, a school bus got stuck on a dug-up section in Rajendra Park, according to locals.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)
