Two dead as house collapses in rain in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Two women died and five others from the same family sustained serious injuries after an old dilapidated house collapsed in Hussaini Alam in the Old City on Sunday afternoon.
Witnesses said that the house in Moosa Bowli collapsed around 12.30 pm during blinding rain. A family member saw a concrete slab falling inside the kitchen and within seconds the entire single-storied building fell like a pack of cards, trapping many under debris of concrete and wood.
The two who died were identified as Farah Begum (24) and Anees Begum (18).
The rescued were identified as Haji Mohammed khan (54), Parveen Begum (42), Azmath Khan (28), Hussain Khan (2), Master Hussain khan, a four-month-old Infant. GHMC’s disaster response force and fire personnel took an hour to pull out the trapped family members from the rubble and shifted them to nearby hospitals.
“Two women were killed in the incident and five others have been injured. They are all being treated in hospital. The building was decades-old,” Ramesh Kotwal, SHO of Hussaini Alam, told TOI.
GHMC zonal commissioner Ashok Samrat said refusal to move from old buildings despite being served notices led to the unfortunate incident. “We served notices to everyone and most of the dilapidated buildings have been demolished,’’ Samrat told TOI.
AIMIM MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan termed the mishap an unexpected tragedy and assured to provide all possible help to the family. “The injured have been shifted to hospitals and GHMC officials were asked to cleared debris from the spot,” Khan told media.
The Bhartiya Janata Party Minority Morcha (BJPMM) and Telugu Desam Party’s minority cell (TDPMC) found fault with GHMC and blamed officials for doing little to persuade people to vacate old buildings. They demanded Rs 20 lakh ex gratia each for the two deaths.
“A meeting must be held prior to every rainy season. But it didn’t happen and due to their negligence this incident took place,” Mohd Ahmed, TDP GHMC minority vice-president, alleged.
They alleged that GHMC south zone officials have completely failed to address public grievances in the Old City areas.
A similar incident took place in 2015 at Hussaini Alam when a dilapidated Ashoorkhana collapsed killing a couple, said Mir Firasat Ali Baqri, spokesperson, BJPMM.