Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Building Collapses Expose Corruption and Weak Civic Oversight
A tall building being built in Hyderabad collapsed and killed two people.
The building was on a very small plot and did not follow important safety rules.
Officials had ordered the work to stop, but construction continued.
The article says this may have happened because local officials ignored violations or accepted corruption.
It also discusses a fire in Kolkata that killed nine people because smoke could not escape easily.
Old and crowded buildings in Indian cities may also become dangerous when they are not maintained.
The article says governments should make buildings safer instead of only paying families after disasters.
It also suggests teaching building safety in schools.
A seven-storey under-construction building collapsed in Hyderabad, killing two people.
The structure reportedly stood on a 50-square-yard plot and lacked setbacks and a safety assessment.
The building was constructed near a drain despite an official order to stop the work.
The editorial links the Hyderabad collapse to deadly fires in Kolkata, where nine people died from smoke inhalation.
It calls for stronger enforcement, redevelopment of unsafe buildings, and building-safety education in schools.
- Who
- Two people died in the Hyderabad building collapse; nine people died in the Kolkata fire mentioned in the editorial.
- What
- A seven-storey under-construction building collapsed in Hyderabad, while a separate Kolkata building fire caused nine deaths.
- Where
- Hyderabad and Kolkata, India.
- Why
- The editorial attributes the incidents to ignored safety rules, alleged corruption among town-planning officials, poor maintenance, overcrowding, and cost-cutting.
- Hyderabad structure
- A seven-storey building under construction collapsed.
- Hyderabad fatalities
- Two people died.
- Plot size
- The Hyderabad building stood on a 50-square-yard plot.
- Reported violations
- The structure had no setbacks and was built without a safety assessment near a drain.
- Stop-work order
- An official order had directed that construction stop.
- Kolkata fatalities
- Nine people died in a fire, reportedly from smoke inhalation.
- Proposed response
- The editorial calls for enforcement, redevelopment of unsafe buildings, and building-safety lessons in schools.