A portion of Hyderabad’s historic Shalibanda clock tower collapsed after rain in the early hours of Saturday, raising concerns about further structural damage and the safety of people using the busy Old City route. No injuries were reported, but residents said the falling masonry could have caused a serious incident had it collapsed during the day.
The century-old structure had already sustained major damage in a fire in November 2025. Locals said part of the tower collapsed around midnight, while the extent of the remaining structural risk was not immediately known.
Ekta Saxena, a resident of the area, said she noticed that a section of the arch had fallen while dropping her children off in the morning. “It happened at midnight. If anyone had been hit by the falling portion, it could have led to a major incident,” she said.
Saxena said officials had inspected the tower after the fire but that no further action had been taken since then. Sumith, a local shop owner, said he learnt about the collapse after reaching his shop in the morning. “Locals said it happened at midnight. This route is used by people throughout the day, and we had a narrow escape from a major incident,” he said.
The Shalibanda clock tower was restored in 2023 and had clocks on its front and rear faces. It formerly chimed every hour between 6 a.m. and midnight, but fell silent in November 2025 after a fire in an adjoining building damaged the clock and the tower.
The fire broke out at a showroom next to the tower on November 24, 2025. According to the report, air-conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines caught fire and exploded continuously. Two people died and several others were injured in the incident, which caused major damage to the tower.
The tower once served as the gateway to Raja Rai Rayan Shamraj Bahadur Palace. The palace was built in a 19th-century colonial architectural style, and Raja Rai Rayan Shamraj Bahadur served as a member of the Nizam’s Executive Council.
Locals said the structure was not being treated as a heritage site and was under acquisition for the Old City Metro Rail project. Heritage activists said the tower had suffered damage several times and urged the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to take measures to protect it. The report did not state whether the GHMC had announced an immediate inspection, barricading plan or stabilisation work after the latest collapse.
