A house in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore collapsed during dredging work on the Sanganur Canal on Monday evening. The incident reportedly occurred due to soil erosion caused by the deep dredging process.
The house, Hudco Colony, near Rathinapuri, built by Suresh, was located along the canal’s banks. Authorities had earlier evacuated all residents from nearby buildings, citing safety concerns during the canal-deepening project. This proactive measure helped avoid any loss of life.
Lakshmana Raj, a tenant of one of the affected buildings, said, “The dredging was done too deep, and that’s why the building collapsed. Three buildings have been damaged, and officials have taken our documents, assuring us of a new home. But we’re unsure of what will happen next.”
Videos of the collapse have gone viral, sparking discussions about the safety of similar projects. Authorities are yet to announce compensation plans or further safety measures.
This comes days after an illegal four-storey building in Kolkata collapsed onto a neighbouring one-storey house last week.
In October 2024, an under-construction building in Bengaluru collapsed, killing eight under the rubble. The incident took place in the city’s Hennur part, in an area called Babusapalya, amid heavy rainfall in the city. However, sources said the cause of the collapse wasn’t the rain, but sub-standard material and poor construction.