Hyd building collapse: Owner held at airport

The Cyberabad police have arrested the owner of an under-construction building that collapsed in Gachibowli in Hyderabad two days ago, killing two workers.

Syed Sajid, who allegedly constructed the seven-storey building on a 50-square-yard plot in violation of norms, was arrested at Hyderabad International Airport while allegedly trying to flee the country.

The police are on the lookout for the contractor, identified as Khawja Moinuddin.

The accused allegedly took up construction of the seven-storey building without permission from the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC). They reportedly owned only 38 square yards and allegedly encroached upon 10 square yards of an adjoining drain to construct the building.

Following a complaint by the owner of an adjacent building, which was damaged in the incident, a case was registered against Sajid and Khawja at the Raidurgam Police Station here.

The under-construction building at Anjaiah Nagar in Gachibowli collapsed on Saturday, killing two migrant workers and injuring three others.

The deceased were identified as Umesh Khare and Mopath, both tile workers from Madhya Pradesh who were engaged in construction work at the site.

Meanwhile, in a joint operation, the Cyberabad civic body, Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) demolished an apartment complex that suffered damage after the collapse of the under-construction building.

Another adjoining building, from which around 20 families were evacuated, will undergo a structural stability assessment before residents are allowed to return.

According to HYDRAA, the adjacent seven-storey building suffered significant damage when the under-construction structure collapsed. As the damaged building posed a risk of collapse, HYDRAA and CMC jointly demolished it.

CMC officials said the building had been constructed without valid permits and posed a risk to public safety. They requested the HYDRAA to carry out the demolition.

The HYDRAA took precautions to ensure the structure did not fall on neighbouring buildings. Since there was no gap between the structures, the demolition was carried out with extreme care.

CMC Commissioner G Srijana on Sunday suspended a town planning officer for failing to act against the illegal construction.

Srijana directed the town planning department to immediately identify unauthorised constructions and take action.

Officials were also directed to demolish structures built without permission or in violation of rules that endanger public safety.

The police said further investigation into the case is underway.