Hyderabad: A road at Naveen Nagar in Banjara Hills caved in after a private water tanker passed over a nala on Tuesday.

The incident occurred near Virinchi Hospital, causing panic in the area. The cement cover over the drain had weakened due to heavy rains on Monday night. As the heavy water tanker passed over it, the structure failed to bear the weight and collapsed with a loud crash, dragging the tanker into the drain. Soon after the incident, the tanker driver fled from the spot.

The incident occurred when a 10,000-litre water tanker, reportedly arriving from Maheshwari Chambers, was passing through the vicinity. The incident occurred around 11 am, causing significant disruption to traffic in the area.

Residents in the locality expressed their frustration, stating that repeated complaints regarding the deteriorating condition of roads and drainage systems in Banjara Hills have been ignored.

Traffic police and GHMC officials arrived the site to assess the damage and manage the situation. The GHMC officials stated that the nala had been compromised due to the heavy load of the tanker, leading to the collapse of the adjacent roadway.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the drain line beneath the road may have weakened over time due to poor maintenance and the movement of heavy vehicles, potentially leading to a sudden cave-in.