Varanasi: A 52-year-old labourer was seriously injured after a dilapidated balcony collapsed at old Kanshiram Housing Scheme in Shivpur police station area on Thursday evening.The injured labourer was taken to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Divisional Hospital for treatment, where he died around 8:30 pm.The labourer was identified as Sheetal alias Shatalu, a resident of Block No 61, Room No 11, in the old Kanshiram Housing complex. Around 5:30 pm on Thursday, Sheetal had gone to the roof to dry clothes when the balcony of the third floor collapsed. Sheetal fell on the second floor and sustained serious injuries.Local residents took him to the hospital. His condition deteriorated three hours after the treatment started and he died around 8:30 pm. Sheetal is survived by three sons and a daughter.The incident has triggered anger among residents over the poor condition of buildings in the Kanshiram Housing Scheme. Locals said that several balconies and other parts of the housing blocks were in a dilapidated state for a long time, but no effective repair or safety measures have been taken.Residents have demanded an immediate inspection of all the unsafe buildings, balconies and structures in the housing complex. They said that failure to carry out timely repairs could lead to more such accidents in the future.Shivpur police reached the spot after receiving information and gathered details about the incident. Further investigation is underway.
