2 dead after railway parcel building collapses in Coimbatore due to heavy rains

Two workers died and another suffered severe injuries after a parcel office adjoining the Coimbatore railway station collapsed in the early hours of Thursday. According to the police, it is suspected that the building collapsed due to heavy rains in the area on Wednesday night. 

The incident occurred around 3.30 am near the Goods Road entry of the Coimbatore junction railway station. Visuals showed that the building had been constructed with asbestos sheets and intermittent brick structures. It functioned as a parcel office for the railway station where people could drop off parcels to be transported by train.

In the early hours of Thursday, as rains pounded Coimbatore city, the walls of the parcel office collapsed, causing the entire building to crumble. The roof of the building flew off due to high winds in the area. First responders immediately alerted fire and rescue services, who rushed to the spot. At least five fire engines and 50 fire service personnel were pressed into the task of rescuing those who were trapped under the debris.

Pavalamani (52), an assistant at the railway cloak room and a resident of Karamadai, Ibrahim (50), a porter and a resident of Mettupalayam and a cloak room assistant and Raju, a migrant worker from Bihar, were trapped under the rubble. They were eventually rescued and taken to Coimbatore Government Hospital. Pavalamani and Ibrahim died hours after the incident in the hospital, and Raju has been admitted to the critical care unit with severe injuries.

Speaking to TNM, the investigating officer said that preliminary inquiries have indicated that the structure collapsed due to heavy rains and winds in the area during that time. “Raju’s condition is stable and he is still in hospital. Investigation is in process for now,” she added.

(This is a developing story)