Slab of Indira Gandhi Shopping Centre in Valsad Municipality collapses: Debris falls on park moped on ground floor, major casualties averted; The municipality will conduct a structural audit

A slab of the municipal run Indira Gandhi Shopping Centre in Valsad town suddenly collapsed late on Tuesday night. A moped parked on the ground floor was crushed under the debris in the mishap causing extensive damage. However, no one was present as it was night time, resulting in a major loss of life. A 30-40-year-old building is very dangerous. This shopping center is about 30 to 40 years old and was in a dilapidated condition for a long time. According to preliminary investigations, the iron rod had corroded due to water seeping from the roof, due to which the slab of the gallery collapsed after bending over. As soon as the incident was reported, local councillor Hitesh Bhandari reached the spot and took stock of the situation and discussed the matter with the chief officer and chief engineer of the municipality. Structural audit of all centres will be done After this tragedy, the municipal administration has woken up. The municipality has decided that a 'structural audit report' of all shopping centres under its jurisdiction will be prepared. Repairs: Buildings which are in a repairable condition will be repaired immediately. Demolition: Buildings which are found to be extremely dangerous and unfit for habitation or business will be demolished. Appeal to tenants to cooperate The municipality has appealed to all shopkeepers and tenants of the shopping center to cooperate with the municipality in vacating or repairing the building if it is found to be dangerous. The administration has made it clear that such strict action is necessary to ensure that no innocent lives are lost due to such mishaps in the future.