Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): An old and damaged building collapsed suddenly in the busy Machharhai Market of Jabalpur's Fuhara area on Wednesday.
No injuries were reported as workers carrying out repair work managed to escape just minutes before the building came crashing down.
According to information, the old building, owned by Yatin Jain, had been undergoing repairs for the past four months. Several workers were inside the building when cracking sounds were heard during the work, warning them of possible danger.
A video of the incident has also surfaced on social media, showing the building collapsing into a cloud of dust moments after people moved to safety.
Watch VIDEO below :
As soon as the sounds were heard, the workers and nearby people immediately came out of the building. Around five minutes later, the entire structure collapsed like a pack of cards, creating a loud noise and panic in the market area.
Residents said the continuous rainfall had further weakened the already damaged building, leading to the collapse. Local resident Sanjay Jain said a major tragedy was avoided because the workers came out in time. He also said the shops operating in the building had already been vacated, preventing any casualties.
This is the second incident of a damaged structure collapsing in the last 24 hours and the fourth such case during the ongoing monsoon season in the city.
The repeated collapse of old buildings in the Fuhara area has also raised questions over the Municipal Corporation's action against unsafe structures. A few days ago, another building had collapsed in the same area, after which the civic body had started identifying dangerous buildings.
However, after another collapse, local residents have expressed anger and said timely action against unsafe buildings is necessary to prevent a major disaster in the future.
