Jaipur: In a heartbreaking incident late on Friday night, a 100-year-old, four-storey dilapidated building in Subhash Chowk collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The collapse claimed the lives of two members of the same family and left several others seriously injured, raising questions about negligence and the failure of safety regulations.The victims, identified as Prabhat (33) and his young daughter Pihu (5), were crushed under the debris. Prabhat worked as a jewellery maker at a shop near Sanganeri Gate and was the sole breadwinner of his family. His wife, Sumitra (27), remains in critical condition at SMS Hospital, suffering from severe spinal injuries, along with fractures to her chest and nose.At the time of the collapse, 19 people from six families were present in the building. Most of them originally came from Kashipur village in West Bengal’s Bardhaman district and migrated to Jaipur for employment in jewellery making.Upon receiving information about the building collapse and people trapped under the debris, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was immediately alerted by the police control room. Within 30 minutes, the SDRF Jaipur team of nine trained personnel from reached the site and began a challenging rescue operation.Sonoka, a resident of the building’s first floor, recalled the horrifying moment, “It was around 1 am, and the rain was heavy. Suddenly, I felt the floor shift. I immediately realised the building was about to collapse. My grandson and I ran outside, shouting loudly for everyone to escape. Some managed to get out, but Prabhat’s family, living on the second floor, couldn’t escape in time and got trapped under the rubble.“Rinki Bagdi, whose family was fortunate to survive due to their room being supported by the adjoining building’s wall, shared, “We informed the building owner, Shahbuddin, two days earlier about the dangerous condition of the building, but he dismissed our concerns, saying it would last another 2–4 years. Now, everything we had is lost, and we have nowhere to stay.”Prabhat’s brother, Sudarshan Bagdi, arrived at the scene around 2 pm on Saturday. With a heavy heart, he said, “I don’t even know whether to mourn my brother’s death or look after my sister-in-law, who is critically injured. I don’t want anything from the administration except justice. I have to now return to our village to perform my brother’s last rites.”The Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Heritage previously issued notices first on August 13 and again on September 4, declaring the building unsafe and warning that the structure should either be repaired or demolished immediately. Despite these notices, the building owner Shahbuddin neither vacated the premises nor carried out repairs.After the tragedy, Shahbuddin was taken into police custody. However, a settlement was reached with the deceased’s family, in which Shahbuddin agreed to pay Rs 6.21 lakh in compensation to Sumitra and also cover the ambulance expenses for transferring the deceased to their native village.All the injured are currently receiving treatment at SMS Hospital. The municipal corporation has provided temporary accommodation near the Ward 60 councillor’s office, but there is no clarity on how long this support will continue.
