Shimla, July 1 -- The residents are blaming the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the collapse of five-story building in Shimla's Bhattakufer. Residents are demanding accountability from the executing company and NHAI. The administration, including the local MLA and cabinet minister Anirudh Singh visited the site. Authorities have promised a fair inquiry and have begun structural assessment of nearby buildings while relief and rehabilitation efforts are going on. "One can see that the building collapsed owing to the cutting by NHAI for four-laning work of the Dhalli bypass. The cutting caused damaged to the building in the area and we had been raising the issue but no one bothered," said the building owner and resident Ranjana. "District administration has been directed to provide immediate relief," said panchayati raj minister and Kasumpati MLA Anirudh Singh. Shimla rural sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Sharma, who visited the site, said, "The building was evacuated last night. There are three to four more buildings adjacent to it which are vulnerable. We've vacated all of them. There has been no loss of life," while adding "As of now, we have shifted ten families, including both owners and tenants, from the five vacated buildings." "The possible cause could be linked to ongoing four-laning (highway widening) work in area being executed by the NHAI," said Sharma. "It appears the ground loosened due to the construction work, especially due to heavy machinery being used for stone excavation. However, this is a technical issue and we will only be able to confirm the exact reason after a detailed inquiry. If the inquiry finds the company or NHAI responsible, compensation will be arranged accordingly," he said. According to Chamiyana gram panchayat vice president Yashpal Verma, cracks developed in the building last year but officials of the company constructing the Kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane road assured the building was safe. Verma said the panchayat had written to the company to stop work as it was rendering buildings unsafe. However, they continued. Neeraj Chahal, liaison officer of Gawar Construction Limited, the company which is carrying out work for NHAI, said, "There has been heavy rainfall over the past three days. Even the iron mesh and rods inserted into the hillside- slope protection work, were destroyed in the landslide."...