Old Mehfil Hotel building collapses in Chandigarh's Sector 17

A major disaster was avoided early Monday morning when the old Mehfil Hotel building in Sector 17, Chandigarh, collapsed. Fortunately, no casualties were reported since the building had been evacuated a week prior due to structural issues. The area was already cordoned off to ensure public safety.

Cracks found during repair work

The problem began last week when cracks were discovered in three load-bearing pillars of the building during ongoing repair work. The iron reinforcements (locally known as “sariya”) in the pillars were found bent, raising concerns about the building’s structural stability.

The building, which is privately owned, was inspected by a joint team from the Chandigarh administration and the UT Police. Based on their findings, the premises were promptly evacuated, and roads around the structure were barricaded to keep people safe. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur confirmed that these precautionary measures were taken to prevent any mishap.

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Damage assessment underway

The collapse also prompted concerns about potential damage to nearby structures. Officials from the Chandigarh administration are now assessing these buildings to determine if they were affected. The deputy commissioner’s office has been tasked with preparing a detailed report on the structural impact.

This incident follows another recent building collapse in the region. Nearly two weeks ago, a three-storey building in Sohana, Mohali, collapsed, leading to the tragic loss of two lives.

While no injuries or fatalities occurred in this case, the collapse serves as a reminder of the importance of timely inspections and structural safety measures to prevent future incidents.