Two individuals suffered minor injuries after a section of the over three-decade-old pedestrian staircase at the Fatehnagar flyover in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, collapsed on Monday, May 27. The incident occurred during daytime foot traffic, prompting immediate response from the Sanathnagar police who suspect that continuous rainfall in recent days may have caused water seepage, weakening the structural integrity of the staircase. The injured were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The collapse raised serious concerns over the condition of ageing pedestrian infrastructure in the city.
Soon after the incident, HYDRAA (Hyderabad Road Development Authority and Administration) commissioner AV Ranganath conducted an inspection at the site. Declaring the structure unsafe, he ordered its immediate demolition and instructed officials to carry out a city-wide audit of similar old flyover staircases with the help of civil engineering experts. Emphasizing the urgency of preventive measures, the commissioner stressed that public safety cannot be compromised and that all potentially hazardous pedestrian access points would be identified and addressed on priority.
HYDRAA’s disaster response team deployed a JCB to demolish the damaged staircase the same day. According to local residents, the stairway is heavily used, especially on Sundays, due to the bustling weekly market in Sanathnagar. Fatehnagar Corporator Satish Goud, who was also present at the site, assured the public that a new and safer pedestrian access point will be constructed promptly. He emphasized the administration’s commitment to restoring pedestrian facilities and preventing similar accidents in other areas through timely inspection and maintenance.