HC building roof collapses; no casualty

Mumbai, Oct 17: A portion of the ceiling on the third floor of the 150-year-old Bombay High Court building collapsed last night but no one was killed or injured in the incident, an official said today.

A portion of the ceiling came crashing down on the third floor hall of Bombay Bar Association between 10.30 to 11.00 PM. However, no one was injured because at that time the lawyers had gone home and the hall was empty, the officer said.

A huge cavity was formed in the hall after a portion of the ceiling collapsed and fell on the ground, he added. Two court rooms in the building on the lower floors have been closed down as a precautionary measure. The HC is awaiting structural audit report of its building after which it would take appropriate steps to undertake repairs. Fire brigade and disaster management teams are currently engaged in restoration work following damage caused due to the mishap.

The construction of this historic building was initiated in 1871 and completed in 1878. The 150-year-old Bombay High Court building in Fort area in south Mumbai was constructed to meet the requirements of 15 judges.

However, over the last 135 years, the strength of judges has increased to 75 in 2007. It is soon set to reach 94. The HC had on October 14 sent a proposal to the state government seeking 25 acres of land in Bandra-Kurla complex and another 25 acres in a nearby area.

PTI