Amritsar (Punjab): Panic gripped the Hall Gate area of Amritsar on Saturday night after a four-storey building near Godown Mohalla suddenly collapsed. The building came down with a loud crash, creating a massive cloud of dust that spread across the locality and forced frightened residents to rush out of their homes.
According to eyewitnesses, the structure was decades old and had been in a dilapidated condition for a long time, though no one anticipated its sudden collapse. Two motorcycles parked in the narrow lane were buried under the debris. The balcony of a nearby temple dedicated to Bhagwan Valmiki also suffered damage due to the impact.
The collapse led to the complete closure of the main street, causing severe inconvenience to residents. Locals said the lane served as a primary passage for people to reach the other side of the neighbourhood. With the road blocked, residents were forced to take longer alternate routes. Many had to park their vehicles at a distance and walk home late at night.
A local resident, Anil, said the building was very old and its condition had been deteriorating steadily. Soon after receiving information about the incident, the administration reached the spot and immediately launched relief and clearance operations.
Fortunately, no one was inside the building at the time of the collapse, preventing any loss of life. However, debris scattered across the lane continued to cause problems until late night. With the help of the administration, work to remove the rubble was ongoing.
The area has since been secured, and authorities have begun inspecting nearby old buildings to prevent similar incidents in the future.
