100-year-old Chennai's Pattalam building collapses

CHENNAI:A dilapidated two-storey building in Pattalam near Purasaiwalkam, which is said to more than a century old, collapsed on Tuesday morning due to incessant overnight rain. No one was injured in the incident. Soon after the incident around 9. 30am, police rushed to the spot as did corporation officials and fire and rescue services personnel. P K Sekarbabu, minister for CMDA, a lso visited the spot. The building hadfallen in on itself and barricades were placed all around the site. Traffic was stopped temporarily on Perambur Barracks Road and was resumed after half an hour.
One of the owners of the 2,560 sq ft structure, which spans Perambur Barracks Road and Venkatesa Bathan Street, told TOI that the city corpora tion had sent a message in February, asking the family to demolish it, but that no notice was sent. All tenants had moved out a few months ago and the building was unoccupied when it fell, he said. The owner said that on February 28, after receiving a message from the corporation authorities, the family sought the help of Dinesh Nedunchezhian, an activist.
Nedunchezhian, g eneral secretary of an organisation named All India Dr Abdul Kalam Manitha Neya Makkal Amaippu, said, “I approached Nobin, assistant engineer of the corporation’s 67th ward under which the area comes, and junior engineer Kumar but they did not issue a formal demolition order copy. ”