A three-storey building in Chopal market in Shimla district collapsed around 12.30 pm on Saturday afternoon after it developed cracks, a senior state disaster management official said.
However, no loss of life was reported as the building was vacated before it collapsed, said an official from Chopal police station. “There were nearly seven people inside the building when the windows started cracking. The building was immediately vacated and the people in the vicinity were also alerted. The exact cause of the collapse will be determined by the engineers. No complaint has been received so far,” the official added.
In videos of the incident, the building can be seen entirely giving way towards the valley. A huge mound of debris and a cloud of dust could be seen at the spot where the building stood. The building collapsed within a span 2-3 seconds. However, officials suspect that the building’s foundation weakened which possibly resulted in the collapse.
A private bank branch, a dhaba and another commercial establishment operated from the building. Due to weekend holiday, the bank was closed which prevented a large gathering of people and averted a bigger tragedy, residents said. The weather department had earlier issued orange alert for specific districts anticipating heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Four days ago, four people were washed away in Manikarna and a person died due to a landslide in Shimla due to heavy rains.