Close shave for 500 examinees as engg college building collapses at night

Additional Floors Were Added Last Year

Vadodara: A building of Bhailalbhai & Bhikhabhai Institute of Technology (BBIT) in Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand district, collapsed late on Thursday night, triggering panic but causing no casualties as the premises were vacant at the time.

The collapse raises serious concerns as more than 500 students had written exams in the same building earlier on Thursday. Eyewitnesses said the structure came down with a loud crash, drawing large crowds in minutes.

Teams from the police, fire department and local administration rushed to the site and cordoned off the area. An investigation has been launched.

Sources said the building was old and renovation work was underway. The second and third floors had been added only a year ago, raising questions about structural stability and the quality of construction and repairs. Officials are also expected to check if structural safety audits were carried out before the building was used.

Civil engineering and other departmental exams are currently underway at the college. Students said hundreds of examinees used that very building in the morning, afternoon and evening sessions on Thursday.

“I wrote my exam here today and other papers were also scheduled. It was fortunate this happened at night. Had the building collapsed during the day, many students could have been injured,” said Uday Patel, a civil engineering student.

Paresh Mistry, estate officer of the Karamsad-Anand Municipal Corporation, said: “We instructed the authorities concerned to submit the structural stability reports and, until then, the building will not be used,” he said.