Ahmedabad: A major mishap was narrowly avoided on Wednesday night when several dilapidated shops situated along the Kalupur railway overbridge suddenly collapsed, leading to a swift emergency response from the fire brigade and local police.
Officials from the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said that seven to eight old and structurally weak shops came crashing down. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported.
As soon as the control room received the distress call, two fire tenders were dispatched to the site for rescue and debris clearance operations. Fire personnel worked to remove the rubble and confirmed that no one was trapped beneath the collapsed structures.
Police teams immediately cordoned off the affected area to ensure the safety of commuters and prevent traffic disruptions on the busy overbridge.
Authorities said the structures had been in a poor and deteriorated condition for some time, raising concerns about negligence in safety inspections and structural monitoring in one of the city’s most congested zones.
A detailed structural audit of the remaining shops and adjoining portions of the overbridge is expected to be carried out soon to prevent any similar incidents in the future, officials added.