Child killed, four injured in Bangalore building collapse

Bangalore, July 26 (UNI) A two-year-old girl was killed and four others were injured when a three-storied group housing structure came down crashing in the city last night.

A major portion of the building housing city corporation employees belonging to economically weaker section, came tumbling down even as they were preparing to go to sleep.

The corporation authorities had already served notices to the inmates of the building built in 1987 asking them to vacate as the building was dangerous. Some out of the 12 families stayed back as others had pitched tents in front of the building.

Bangalore City Corporation Commissioner said that most of the families had moved out of the quarters hours before the collapse.

"Had they stayed back the casuality figure would have been higher.

We had to shut down water and power supply to force the employees to vacate. They were reluctant to move out despite we were providing them alternate accommodation," he said.

The child identified as Lakshmi died due to suffocation under the debris. The injured had been hospitalised, police officials said.

The poor quality of construction was said to be the main cause of the collapse which had taken a battering due to heavy rains over the weekend.

UNI