Vadodara: A construction mishap forced the evacuation of 40 families from two towers of Satva Prime flats near Chhani canal in Vadodara on Sunday night. The incident occurred due to excavation work for a new construction project, Vasanttara Skies, adjacent to the residential complex.

The excavation work for upcoming scheme Vasanttara’s foundations led to the collapse of a boundary wall of neighboring Satva Prime flats and a significant landslide, posing a severe threat to the structural integrity of the Satva Prime towers (E and G). Firefighters, who rushed to the scene, deemed the situation dangerous and ordered the immediate evacuation of the residents.

The displaced families stated that they were left stranded and unsure of where to spend the night.

The fire brigade asked all 40 families to vacate their homes. People were worried about where they will go tonight.

Residents alleged that the excavation work for Vasanttara Skies, owned by builder Virendrasinh Vaghela, had been ongoing for a month without regard for the safety of nearby residents. They claimed that their repeated requests to the builder to conduct the work away from the boundary wall were ignored.

“Our flats are only seven years old, and this situation has arisen due to the builder’s negligence,” said a local resident. “We don’t know who the builder is, but the mobile number we have shows ‘Siddhraj’.”

The incident occurred around 9 pm, as many residents were watching the India-New Zealand cricket final or having dinner. The sudden collapse of the wall and the landslide caused panic, forcing people to flee their homes.

Fire Officer Harshvardhan Puwar confirmed the collapse of the boundary wall of Satva Prime and the support wall of Vasanttara Skies. He described the situation as “dangerous” and stated that the evacuation was necessary for the safety of the residents.

Adding to the residents’ frustration, they alleged that construction work continued until 3:30 am, despite ongoing board exams for students. This disruption, coupled with the reckless excavation, led to the collapse of the 150-meter long wall.

The incident sparked outrage among the residents, with over 500 people gathering at the site. They expressed their disappointment at the lack of response from civic authorities. Despite the severity of the situation, no officials from the engineering or building permission departments of Ward No. 1 had visited the site until late at night.

Executive Engineer of the North Zone, Prashant Joshi, when informed of the incident, reportedly stated that he would send an engineer in the morning, further highlighting the alleged apathy of the municipal corporation.

The residents also expressed concern for three students appearing for their 12th-grade board exams, who had to be sent to relatives’ homes due to the evacuation. They lamented the absence of any BJP leaders or corporation officials at the site, leaving them feeling abandoned.

The incident has raised serious questions about the safety standards and oversight of construction projects in the city, and the residents are demanding immediate action to ensure their safety and rehabilitation. DeshGujarat