TN govt appoints commission to probe Chennai building collapse

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the collapse of an 11-storey under-construction building as the toll went up to 55. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said Thursday Justice (retd.) R. Raghupathy will conduct a detailed inquiry into the collapse and suggest measures to prevent its recurrence in high-rises in the future. In a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa said 27 people were rescued in the accident. She said she has ordered a one-man commission headed by Justice (retd.) R.Raghupathy to be set up to look into all aspects that led to the building’s collapse. The commission will also determine and fix responsibility for the disaster and recommend measures to be taken so that such accidents do not occur in the future. However, the statement did not spell out the time frame within which the commission has to submit its report. [caption id=“attachment_1594035” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Policemen at the site of Chennai building that collapsed. Firstpost[/caption] The residential project Trust Heights was being developed by Prime Sristi Housing Pvt Ltd. The project comprised two 11-storey blocks - The Belief and The Faith. Most of the people trapped under the debris are said to be construction workers. Giant steel rod cutters and other equipment have been working overtime while sniffer dogs and sophisticated cameras are deployed at the accident site to locate and rescue trapped people. The Tamil Nadu’s Public Works Department has declared “unsafe” the adjacent, crashed building’s twin - an 11-storey building of the same project. The building will be pulled down once the rescue and recovery operations at the crash site are over. IANS