NT Reporter
Vasco
Two balconies of two flats of an abandoned building in Vasco collapsed onto the street on Friday morning. Fortunately, no one was below at the time and a major disaster was averted. A two-wheeler, however, was damaged in the incident.
The building is unoccupied, though two shops continue to operate on the ground floor. The collapse occurred near two schools and a densely populated area. As schools were closed for Ganesh Chaturthi, the road had no traffic
at the time.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and secured the site. They confirmed the building was abandoned and in a dangerous condition. Vasco MLA Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar and councillor Shami Salkar also inspected the location.
The MLA held discussions with the Fire Department officials on steps to ensure safety. “There are many buildings in Vasco that are in dangerous condition. Therefore, I had demanded in the convention that action be taken against such buildings and they should be demolished for the safety of the people,”
he said.
He pointed out that more than 10 buildings in Vasco are in a hazardous condition and questioned who would be held responsible if an accident occurred. He said the apartments in question should be demolished immediately and the cost recovered from the building owner. “The administration should keep the land in its possession until the building owners pay,” Salkar said.
