Sri Lanka: Five buildings located in the same road collapsed

On October 30, multiple buildings collapsed at the same time at Galle Road, which is located in Panadura, Sri Lanka. Specifically, five two-storey buildings in total collapsed after work on the drainage system along the street. According to the Panadura Municipal Council, they had hired a contractor who used a backhoe to dig up the drains and clear the drainage system.

Local witnesses stated that the buildings gave way after the backhoe and a loaded dump truck left. In addition, the local business owners suggest that the vibrations from the backhoe might have caused ground instability, leading to the incident. Notably, the buildings hosted multiple businesses, including a dental clinic, a clothing shop, and various other stores, all of which were destroyed. Fortunately, at the time of the incident, only two of the businesses were open. In all, no injuries were reported.