Hours after a tragic five-story student hostel caved in at Satya Niketan in Delhi, a similar structural collapse was reported in the heart of Odisha’s capital city, raising severe concerns over construction safety standards.
An under-construction steel-framed structure partially collapsed late at night near Delta Square—one of Bhubaneswar’s busiest traffic junctions. According to initial reports from local police, several labourers sustained injuries in the incident. Neither the private real estate group executing the project nor the contractor has issued an official statement regarding the mishap.
Late-Night Panic at Delta Square
Local residents reported hearing a loud, terrifying crash during the night. By morning, heavy steel pillars, concrete slabs, and corrugated roof sheets were seen lying scattered across the site. While the upper steel frame of the structure remained standing, the lower supporting section caved in completely.
The accident has sent shockwaves across the locality, as Delta Square experiences heavy pedestrian and vehicular movement throughout the day. Locals expressed fear that the structural instability could pose a grave risk to passersby and adjoining properties.
Questions are now being raised regarding whether the project had received proper plan approvals from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and if temporary stability, centring, and labour protection protocols were adequately implemented during construction.
Minister Announces Crackdown on Unsafe Structures
Responding to the incident and the recent tragedy in Delhi, Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mohapatra announced that the state government is escalating safety inspections of all vulnerable structures across urban centres.
Addressing the media, Minister Dr Mohapatra stated:
“Dilapidated and unsafe government buildings in urban areas are being demolished. Letters will also be issued to private building owners demanding the immediate demolition or retrofitting of unsafe structures. Notices have already been dispatched to tear down hazardous school buildings and Anganwadi centers. Strict vigil is being maintained across all cities.”
