Residents claim that the accident could have been avoided but for the negligence of BWSSB and Legacy Global projects.

It was a day of shock as their worst fears came true. Residents of 32 flats of a whole block in Queens Corner apartment, Queens Circle were evacuated on Monday after a part of the compound wall collapsed and the earth caved in, leading to cracks in the complex.

A British-era large (15-inch diameter) water pipeline in the vicinity had been leaking for the past 10 days, but had been left unattended. The water gushing out seeped into the earth, loosening it further. On Monday morning, the pipeline broke and the gushing water led to the earth caving in, bringing down a tree and a compound wall, which fell into a deep pit dug by Legacy Global Projects Pvt. Ltd. for an apartment complex in the adjoining plot. As the earth caved in, it hollowed out the earth below a part of the Queens Corner apartment complex, leaving a 15-feet-deep pit next to Block C. There are deep cracks on the floor of Queens Corner, raising fears of hollowing out of earth below the surface.

Civic officials said that Legacy is filling up the pit formed by the earth caving in with concrete to prevent any further hollowing out of the earth below.

Blame game begins

Residents claim that the accident could have been avoided but for the negligence of BWSSB and Legacy Global projects.

Lal Mirpuri, president of residents’ association of Queens Corner, alleged that repeated complaints to BWSSB to fix a leaking pipeline fell on deaf ears. In their statement, Legacy Global Projects also blamed the BWSSB saying the leak was not attended to despite their complaints on June 12. S Krishnappa, engineering chief, BWSSB said that it was only on Monday that the issue had come to his notice. However, he said many buildings had come up on the British era pipeline that had developed a leak.

Any attempt to fix the leak could have destabilised buildings in the vicinity.

“A new 300 mm pipeline was laid during the recent Tender SURE work on Cunningham Road. We will use the new pipeline and discard the old one without removing it,” he said.

Lal Mirpuri also alleged that they had written to Legacy Projects three months ago, bringing to their notice the cracks that had developed in their building and requested them to build retention walls in the pit they had dug.

The Residents Association of Queens Corner lodged a complaint against Legacy Global Projects with Cubbon Park police and an FIR has been registered. The builder was booked under Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code for an act endangering life or personal safety of others.

Statement of builder

In a statement, Legacy Global Projects claimed that large concrete pylons they had built against the mud wall had also collapsed in the accident. “Despite our best efforts to contain the situation, our attempts were in vain owing to lack of support from the BWSSB,” their statement said.