Hyderabad: Just a few days ago, Ayoob Khan and his family members were all busy making arrangements for the marriage of his niece Anees Fatima (18). Her house would have been filled with wedding paraphernalia. But never in his life did Ayoob ever think that he would instead have to collect salvaged articles from Anees’s house, which collapsed on Sunday morning.
On Monday, just a week before when Anees was supposed to get married, Ayoob Khan who was collecting left over properties of Anees’s and his family members, as two of them had passed away after the roof of their house at Hussaini Alam came crashing down on Sunday. Anees and another woman, Wajida Akhtar (28), had succumbed to their injuries in the tragic incident.
“The family was all set for the marriage as wedding invitations were printed and the they were writing names of guests (on the cards) when the incident took place. We bought gold, bride dresses, new furniture, electronic items, etc which were to be given to Anees Fatima for her wedding,” said Ayoob Khan. He added that Anees’s fiancee, who was waiting for October 19, their wedding date, is still under shock.
When thus reporter visited the house on Monday, there was nothing left of the building but rubble, under which several valuable items of the family and also of the shops which were under the building, were completely crushed.
The tragedy occurred on Sunday morning, at the building which is known as the home of ‘Afsar Pehelwan’ at Hussainialam. While Anees Fatima (18) and Wajida Akhtar (28) died, four others, Haji Mohammed Khan, Parveen Begum, Azmath Khan (four months old) and Hussain Khan (2-year-old), had sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital.
It has been learnt that Parveen Begum’s health condition is critical as she had sustained severe injuries on her head and backbone while protecting little Hussain Khan. “Wajida Akhtar (28) was the daughter-in-law of Haji Mohammed Khan and the mother of the two children who were injured. These two little babies have lost their mother,” Ayoob Khan added.
He claimed that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) did not issue any caution notice regarding the house’s stability, that it was in dilapidated condition. “The authorities never inspected the house. If they would have, we would have left the house and done something about it. We demand the Telangana government give us an ex-graita for the two family members who died in the incident as we have incurred over Rs.12 lakhs in loses,” Ayoob Khan stated.
According to him, Haji Mohammed Khan, his elder brother, had spent all of his life savings for his younger daughter Anees Fatima’s wedding. “But the father who was ready to celebrate his daughter’s wedding now can’t even attend her funeral as he also sustained injuries,” remarked Ayoob Khan, in grief stricken voice.