Bengaluru: A major disaster was averted when the parapet wall at the city’s Mantri Mall collapsed at about 3 pm on Monday.
Hundreds of people were seen rushing out of the mall soon after the wall collapsed. The mall, located on Sampige Road was closed down after Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad withdrew its occupancy certificate; he ordered an inquiry.
A housekeeping staff suffered minor injuries and was admitted to KC General Hospital. Movies were stopped midway so that the mall could be evacuated.
An initial investigation by BBMP engineers said that the parapet attached to the rear wall of the mall, which connects the multiplex carried a series of air-conditioner ducts which leaked water and the seepage might have led to the collapse.
Sources say that the mall would remain shut till it is declared fit for people to visit.
Meanwhile, it is said that the affected wall was recently modified, but the air-conditioner ducts constantly leaked.
The fire personnel were called and they too helped in evacuating the mall.
Traffic woes
As people were being evacuated, the slow-moving traffic on Sampige Road got worse. The initial panic over the feared possibility that the building might collapse, added to the traffic woes.
Meanwhile, the mall authorities requested Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to seal the route that started from Mantri Square apartments as a precautionary measure.
(Agencies)
