Pune: Around 50 two-wheelers were damaged after an 80-foot-long section of a 20-foot-high retaining wall at Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital in Dhankawadi collapsed at around 10.30am on Saturday.Several visitors and others had parked their vehicles in the parking area.“A section of the retaining wall collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The wall came crashing down, along with several large trees, onto the parking area,” fire station officer Vasant Bhilare told TOI.“Fortunately, no one was present in the parking area when the wall and the trees collapsed,” Bhilare said.When TOI visited the site on Saturday afternoon, hospital officials and staffers said no one was being allowed to enter the parking area as it was unsafe. The hospital authorities did not issue any official statement. Staff members had cordoned off the area.“The wall was constructed of stone and cement, and the two-wheelers were parked alongside it. Several large trees had grown on the wall over the years, adding considerable weight to the structure,” Bhilare said.The fire brigade deployed earthmovers and other equipment to clear the debris and retrieve the damaged vehicles. The rescue and debris-clearing operation continued till late evening.This is the second such incident in the city. On July 5, a retaining wall in a housing society in Jambhulwadi collapsed, damaging around 20 cars, SUVs and two-wheelers parked alongside it.
