Demolition paints a sombre picture

The sound of the debris coming down crashing coupled with the jumme ki namaaz painted a sombre picture of a bright sunny day.

Hyderabad: Around 12:55 pm on Friday afternoon, the turquoise-coloured high-rise combo cutter made its way to the sixth floor of the fire-hit Deccan Knitwear Sports Accessories building on Minister’s Road. Coincidently, just as the machine began tearing down the marred structure, afternoon prayers in the nearby mosque filled the air with grit.

“Perfect timing. Perhaps this prayer will make sure that the demolition will be done safely,” remarked an onlooker. The sound of the debriscoming down crashing coupled with the jumme ki namaaz painted a sombre picture of a bright sunny day.

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The awaited demolition of the building that was declared unsafe was under way eight days after the city witnessed one of the biggest fire accidents in recent times. These eight days also marked a painstaking wait for the kin of three workers who were trapped inside the building.

“My home is in a basti behind this building and my shop is opposite that. I was born and brought up in this area and never did I see such a tragic accident here,” says Kumar who runs a car accessories business.

“Some people I know fainted because of the smoke from the building. There is no electricity and the roads are also closed. I just hope everything goes on smoothly now,” he added.

Although residents who lived nearby were evacuated, and police personnel cordoned off the area with barricades barring entry for motorists, bystanders kept the officers busy throughout the day. And as dust from the crumbling edifice enveloped the area, some onlookers quickly covered their noses with masks and handkerchiefs, while others dished out their smartphones to record the demolition.

With the crew working round the clock, it is expected that the entire building will be razed down and the area cleared in the next 10 days. Till that is done, the locals will continue to live in the memory of a smoke cloud that rocked their neighbourhood. And as for the victims’ families, the grief remains.