Staircase collapses in Ghaziabad apartment, residents trapped for hours

A portion of a staircase in a 30-year-old residential building in Ghaziabad’s Vasundhara collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, trapping two families in their flats for nearly 10 hours. The incident, which occurred at Green View Apartments, is raising serious questions about the structural integrity and maintenance of aging buildings, particularly those constructed under government housing schemes. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but the collapse cut off the only means of exit for the residents, causing panic.

The incident, which took place around 4:30 a.m., was a rude awakening for the residents. The collapsed staircase connected directly to the main door of the flats, making it impossible for the families to leave until rescue teams arrived. One rescued resident expressed frustration over the delay, noting that the disaster occurred on a Sunday. "There was a delay in getting a fire brigade due to Sunday. But disasters don't see time," the resident said, emphasizing the need for clearer maintenance guidelines in residential societies.

The building is part of a developmental society under the Uttar Pradesh's Avas Vikas Yojana. Residents claim that maintenance charges are too low to adequately cover the upkeep of the aging infrastructure and allege a lack of a unified mechanism for its maintenance. This incident has brought to the forefront urgent concerns about building safety and the governance of aging residential complexes, prompting calls for authorities to take action against those responsible for ignoring repeated complaints from residents.