‘Stones stumbled, rushed to save my life’: Eyewitness recalls ‘chaos’ after building collapsed in Kota

REscue teams worked through and through the dark in Rajasthan after a three-storey edifice lodging a eating place collapsed in Kota on Saturday, reportedly killing two people and leaving several others injured.The collapse occurred around 9 pm in Kota’s Talwandi area, when staff and customers were present inside the restaurant operating from the building.Authorities confirmed that two victims — Aryan (20) and Lakshman (15) — lost their lives in the incident, reported PTI news agency. Of the 15 rescued, eight are currently undergoing treatment at hospitals, while five have been discharged after receiving primary care.Rajasthan cabinet minister Heeralal Nagar said a probe would be conducted into the incident. “In total, 15 people were taken out of the debris. While two have died, some of the injured were discharged after treatment. A probe will be ordered to ascertain the facts, and action will follow,” he told reporters, according to PTI.Eyewitness describes moments before collapseA local shopkeeper, who runs a tea stall near the building, described the moments leading up to the collapse, recalling how quickly the situation spiralled out of control.“When I was making tea, some stones stumbled upon my shop. When I saw that the building was about to collapse… I was here, my father was here; fortunately, there were no customers at my shop at the moment. Within a few seconds, I rushed from the site to save my life,” he told news agency ANI. He added that “soon chaos ensued”, claiming that some people “died on the spot”, while “10–15 others were injured” and rescued by the public.He also noted that there were no customers at his tea shop at the time of the incident.Several residents in the area claimed they heard a blast just before the building came down.Victims rushed to hospitalState education minister Madan Dilawar, who was present at the site, said nearly 15 people were inside the building when it collapsed. “Eight of them were pulled into a serious condition and were rushed to the hospital, while one of them died on the way,” he confirmed.Dr Narendra Nagar, CMHO of Kota district hospital, said one of the deceased was a nearly 20-year-old man from West Bengal. “Eight people were shifted here — of whom five including a child are serious. The condition of the rest of the three people are stable,” he said, adding that the young man from West Bengal succumbed to his injuries.Probe onDivisional Commissioner Anil Agarwal pointed to ongoing construction activity in the neighbourhood as a possible factor. Officials said another building adjacent to the collapsed structure had been under construction for the past few days.Kota collector Peeyush Samaria said frequent vibrations from the construction work may have weakened the old structure. “The construction work in that building had probably caused some frequent vibration in this building leading to damage. Prima facie, it was also quite old,” he said, adding that the exact cause would be determined after a detailed examination and consultation with municipal authorities.