In a tragic incident that unfolded on Friday afternoon, a three-decade-old building housing a Hero-brand two-wheeler showroom in Armori town, Gadchiroli district, collapsed unexpectedly. The catastrophe claimed the lives of three individuals and left three others critically injured.
The deceased have been identified as Tehseen Sheikh (30), Afsan Sheikh (32) — both residents of Wadsa — and Akash Burande of Nilaj. The injured victims, Saurabh Chaudhary, Vilas Mane (50), and Deepak Meshram (23), were rushed to the District General Hospital, with at least one in critical condition.
Rescue operations mobilized swiftly, involving JCB machinery to clear debris, as a crowd gathered at the marketplace adjacent to the collapsed structure. Initial investigations by Armori police indicate that structural weaknesses — possibly amplified by persistent monsoon rains — may have caused the collapse. Structural engineers are being brought in to further assess whether construction flaws or weather-induced stress were the primary factors. Locals voiced strong frustration, criticizing the municipal council for neglecting to take precautions on aging infrastructure amid heavy rains.
This incident comes just a day following a separate tragedy on Armori Road, where a hit-and-run resulted in the loss of four teenage lives — compounding the community’s grief and alarm.
