Building collapse wake-up call for UT: Engg experts

The collapse of the 60-year-old Mehfil restaurant building in Sector 17-C is a "wake-up call" for the UT administration to conduct a structural audit of all commercial buildings in Chandigarh that are over 50 years old, say engineering experts.

- Hillary Victor

CHANDIGARH:

They emphasise that with the city located in the high-risk seismic zone IV—where special measures are required to ensure buildings can withstand earthquakes—regular audits are necessary and should be made mandatory.

The four-storey old Mehfil restaurant building gave way early in the morning on January 6. It had been vacated on December 31 after cracks appeared in three load-bearing pillars during ongoing renovation work, preventing harm to life.

Most of the buildings in Sector 17 were constructed in the early 1960s. Currently, there are approximately 400 privately owned commercial buildings and around 80 government buildings in the sector, which lies in the heart of the city.