New area caves in
Less than a day after the southern wall of a foundation pit adjoining the capital's Sundarban Hotel collapsed, the eastern and northern walls followed last evening, taking down the entire length of the footpath, two humongous billboards, and a tree.
The landslide, which occurred in three phases within 30 minutes from 8:45pm, prompted closure of Panthapath Road's southern lane, while CR Dutta Road, on the east of the pit dug for construction of 12-storey National Bank Limited Twin Tower, was shut to traffic and people on Wednesday morning, immediately after the first slide.
Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Annisul Huq, who visited the scene again, told reporters early today that the authorities would contact large construction firms and call in army for dumping sandbags quickly so as to prevent further slides.
The failure of the piling, part of the system to protect the 50-foot deep pit's edge, caused a portion of the six-storey hotel's foundation soil, boundary wall, a stretch of footpath, some makeshift shops and an electric pole to cave in while 50 guests were evacuated.
“Restoring the hotel's stability is our priority,” Annisul Huq told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.
“It will require five lakh cubic feet or 2,500 truckloads of sand to be dumped in the portion of the foundation ditch where shore protection failed,” he said.
But only one lakh cubic feet of sand could be dumped so far since Wednesday noon, he said, adding that the process was taking time due to a lack of trucks, traffic jam and inaccessibility.
Fearing deterioration, the mayor earlier said, "We have written to the ministry this afternoon requiring army intervention and the ministry may urgently request the army to mobilise if any emergency arises.”
Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, also blamed inaccessibility for the slow progress.
That rains could make the situation unmanageable was also apprehended by Prof Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of the civil engineering department, one of two Buet experts called in to watch the filling.
Annisul instructed for an immediate joint coordination committee comprising all relevant authorities to lead and oversee the filling.
He was said to have requested Sayeed Khokon, mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, to form a three-member probe committee headed by Syed Fakrul Ameen, civil engineering professor of Buet, to find the actual negligence and violation.
Abdur Rahman, acting chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said, “The building owner did not make the mandatory declaration prior to embarking on the construction.” “...we are looking into what legal action should be taken against such failure and negligence,” he said.
However, the two mayors and local lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh blamed Rajuk for the negligence and failure in ensuring safe building construction.
In Nakhalpara on May 21, 2011, shore protection walls and iron bracing of the under-construction Impulse Hospital had similarly failed, resulting in collapse of three tin-roof houses and part of an internal road, and development of cracks on adjoining structures, including two five-storey residential buildings. A 60-member army engineering corps team was mobilised to fill the pit and restore stability of the surrounding structures.
In another incident, a portion of the Circuit House road had collapsed into a 33-foot foundation ditch of an under-construction building.
Rajuk officials then too had blamed the building owner, saying Monzurur Rahman did not make the declaration though he was required by the building law to do so 15 days before work commenced.
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