Minister’s Road fire accident: GHMC plans to demolish building

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is planning to demolish Deccan Knitwear Sports Accessories building that caught fire

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is planning to demolish Deccan Knitwear Sports Accessories building that caught fire on Thursday, and is waiting for the efforts to trace three missing persons, to conclude.

The corporation has utilised the services of the National Institute of Technology, Warangal Director Prof N V Ramana Rao, Civil and Structural Engineering expert and his team to assess the structural stability of the building.

“A total of 60 % of the structure is unfit and to assess the structural stability of the remaining 40 %, I have recommended Non-Destructive Testing (NDT),” said Ramana Rao speaking to Telangana Today.

He said that, if the GHMC decides to pull down the structure, the demolition should be done through the ‘building implosion method’.

Demolition of the building through the implosion method involves placing explosive material at strategic locations inside the structure to pull it down and minimise damage to the surrounding structures.

This controlled demolition method is mostly used to pull down buildings in densely populated areas.
Meanwhile, GHMC officials said that the owner of the building will pay the demolition charges.

Minister inspects

Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav accompanied by GHMC Commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar and senior officials inspected the fire hit commercial complex.

He said people whose houses were in close proximity to the building have been rehabilitated in nearby place. Arrangements including three meals a day have been made for them, besides setting up medical camps.