Chandigarh, Aug. 4 -- Damage to a load-bearing wall during renovation likely triggered the collapse of a nearly 50-year-old building in Chandigarh's Industrial Area, Phase 2, on July 5, killing two people, a preliminary inquiry has found.

A report submitted by the sub-divisional magistrate (East), based on an expert study by the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), found that the building relied on brick load-bearing walls, along with reinforced cement concrete (RCC) beams and slabs, to support its weight.

The inquiry concluded that the failure in the load-bearing walls was the main cause of the collapse as the RCC beams and slabs were found to be intact. The collapse appears to have started from the ...