Surat: Residents of 192 apartments across four towers of Shiv Residency were evacuated on Wednesday after the compound wall and a portion of adjoining land collapsed into a deep foundation pit at Bhimrad.The incident occurred late Tuesday night after a cement concrete retaining wall of a foundation pit at a construction site being developed by the Raj Lakshmi Group gave way. The collapse caused the boundary wall of Shiv Residency to cave in, raising fears about the safety of nearby buildings.Following a preliminary inquiry, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) suspended the licences of architect Suresh Maurya, structural engineer Jalil Shaikh, developer Tushar Ribadiya of Raj Lakshmi Group, and site supervisor Tejas Jasani. “They were found negligent in taking necessary preventive measures. Prima facie, water accumulation led to soil settlement, resulting in the collapse of the retaining wall,” an SMC official said.The Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) received an emergency call at around 11.34 pm, after which fire teams rushed to the spot and carried out an inspection. After securing the area, SFES alerted various departments of the SMC to initiate immediate action.“The ground adjoining the foundation pit weakened significantly. The pit is over 50 feet deep. A parking shed also collapsed, while a few parked vehicles were pulled to safety,” an SFES official said.Subsequent inspections by SMC teams found that four residential buildings within the Shiv Residency campus were at risk. “As a precautionary measure, residents of all four buildings — comprising 192 apartments — were asked to vacate. They have shifted to alternative accommodations,” an SMC official said.On Tuesday night, hundreds of residents rushed out onto the road amid fears that the buildings could collapse. After the SMC inspection on Wednesday, residents were allowed to briefly enter their flats to collect essential belongings before vacating the premises.
