A 60-year-old unoccupied building collapsed in Erode’s Karungalpalayam on Saturday after recent heavy rain weakened the structure, damaging an adjacent eatery and an electricity pole. No casualties or injuries were reported, according to Karungalpalayam police.
The ground-plus-two-storey residential building stood on Subramaniyar Koil Street, off Cauvery Road, in Rajagopal Thottam. It belonged to Suguna, 55, and Arumugam, 60, and had remained unused for about two years.
Police said the structure had sustained damage during heavy rain over the past few days and was in a precarious condition before it collapsed. The building fell suddenly, sending debris onto the neighbouring eatery and reducing the establishment to rubble, a police officer said.
No one was inside the eatery when the collapse occurred, preventing injuries in the densely occupied local area. The building itself was also unoccupied at the time of the incident.
The collapse damaged an electricity pole, disrupting power supply to nearby localities. Personnel from the electricity board began restoration work after the incident. The interruption affected surrounding areas while repair efforts were under way.
Karungalpalayam police and personnel from the fire and rescue services visited the site following the collapse. They began an investigation into the incident, including the condition of the old structure and the circumstances leading to its failure.
The incident brings attention to the immediate risks posed by ageing and vacant buildings during periods of heavy rain, particularly when damaged structures remain close to occupied shops and public utilities. In this case, the absence of people inside both the residential building and the adjacent eatery prevented a major tragedy, while the damage to the electricity network extended the impact beyond the collapsed structure.
The police investigation and electricity board restoration work were continuing after the collapse. Further details on the cause of the structural failure were not available in the report.
