Bhatkal: A major tragedy was narrowly averted in Bhatkal late Wednesday night when the roof and a pillar of an old and dilapidated building collapsed in the busy Chowk Bazaar area. The incident occurred amidst continuous heavy rain and strong winds that lashed the town throughout the day.
Fortunately, the incident took place at around 10:15 PM, a time when most shops in the area had already closed and there was little to no traffic on the road. As a result, no casualties or injuries were reported. Eyewitnesses noted that had the collapse occurred during daytime or peak business hours, it could have resulted in serious consequences, as Chowk Bazaar is considered one of the busiest commercial areas in Bhatkal.
Sources revealed that the house previously belonged to Mr. Zubair Ruknuddin and had remained unoccupied for the past ten years due to its deteriorating condition. It is also learned that the property was sold to another individual about five to six years ago, but no maintenance work had been carried out since then. The current state of the building is so fragile that it is at risk of total collapse, especially if the region continues to witness heavy rains and strong winds.
A shopkeeper located opposite the collapsed building said, "It had been raining heavily throughout the evening, but just as the rain stopped around 10:15 PM, we suddenly heard a loud crash — the roof had collapsed along with the front pillar. Thankfully, no one was passing by at that moment."
It is worth noting that Bhatkal and nearby areas have been experiencing intermittent heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds since Wednesday morning, with reports of minor damages from other parts of the town as well.