Tamil Nadu: Woman dies as balcony collapses in govt building

Erode, Tamil Nadu: A 22-year-old woman died and another seriously injured when the balcony in the second floor of a four-storey government building collapsed, police said. Police said the victims, both women, were standing near the steps on the first floor when the balcony of the second floor of the Slum Clearance Board building caved in on them around 11.30 PM last night. [caption id=“attachment_1693203” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A file image of the building collapse that killed over 70. AFP image[/caption] One of the women died en route to the government hospital, while the other was later admitted to a private hospital. Inmates of more than 100 houses in the Slum Clearance Board building staged a blockade demanding compensation for the victims. They also urged the government to demolish the houses and rebuild them as the building was constructed 27 years ago. On June 28, 61 persons were killed when an under construction multi-storeyed private building collapsed near Chennai. PTI