Abstract

Wall collapse is a common problem encountered in India leading to non-fatal and fatal injuries. The collapse could be observed in constructed walls as well as under construction walls, and thus the residents and construction workers both are liable to be injured. A comprehensive understanding of causal factors leading to wall collapse incidents is essential to prevent the collapse of the walls. However, an extensive overview of causal factors is missing from the literature. Thus there is clearly need to identify and evaluate the causes of such collapses and suggest measures to prevent such collapses. In this study, more than 274 incidents of wall collapses which occurred between January 2014 to October 2017 (46 months) in India were retrieved using Google alert feature. During this period, 566 fatal and 638 non-fatal accidents were reported in e-media. Emails about the news of wall collapse were received through this feature. An excel sheet was prepared based on the wall collapse data received. Subsequently, some statistical analysis was conducted on the collected data. Maximum 70 fatal accidents were reported in July 2014. This time is of monsoon in India. Maximum 88 non-fatal accidents occurred and reported in February 2014. Out of these 81 children were injured when the mud wall of school crumbled and collapsed after incessant rain in Orissa state. Some of the frequently reported factors commonly associated with the wall collapse included, high-intensity rains, accumulation of water near the walls during rainy seasons, under construction work, implementation of unsafe demolition practices, dilapidated wall or building, cyclones, etc. The findings may prove to be helpful in implementing measures to prevent such collapses. These measures could include developing engineering controls, assessing the health of wall structures, developing policy and intervention design to reduce the risk of wall collapse, and disseminating knowledge.