ST depot’s ornamental facade collapses, kills 60-year-old

Vadodara: A portion of the ornate plaster of paris (PoP) facade of the Vadodara ST bus depot, popularly known as ‘Janmahal', collapsed on Friday, killing a 60-year-old passerby and raising serious concerns over structural safety at one of the city's busiest transport hubs.The victim, identified as Narsinh Dave from Ahmedabad, was walking past the depot building near the entrance gate in the Sayajigunj area when the PoP and an attached metal framework came crashing down on him. He died on the spot.A major tragedy was narrowly averted, as the depot sees heavy footfall throughout the day, with thousands of passengers moving in and out of the premises.The sudden collapse triggered panic, with passengers rushing towards exits. Senior police officials and fire brigade personnel reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. Fire personnel later cleared the debris and recovered the body."A portion of the PoP structure fell with a loud crash," a police official said.The incident has put the spotlight on the safety of the depot's exterior structure. Police have registered a case of accidental death and said a detailed investigation will be conducted.Following the incident, a section of the depot was cordoned off for safety, and an alternative route was arranged for bus movement.The depot was built in 2014 at a cost of Rs 114 crore under a public-private partnership between the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and Cube Construction. The modern facility, which houses shops, a multiplex and an exhibition hall, handles an estimated 35,000 passengers and around 900 buses daily.Teams from the Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) collected debris samples from the site, while a technical team of GSRTC has also initiated a probe into the cause of the collapse.
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