Unseasonal rains damage iconic Charminar

Hyderabad: Charminar, the symbol of Hyderabad, has suffered damage as a piece of lime stucco work on one of its minarets fell down following unseasonal rains, officials said on Thursday.

A portion of the stucco work detached from the granite slab on the minaret facing Mecca Masjid side and fell off late on Wednesday, sending panic among the people around the monument.

Police cordoned off the area where the debris fell. A large number of onlookers gathered near the monument.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had undertaken restoration work on the monument sometime back. While the incidents of lime plasters peeling off are not new, the latest damage raised new concerns about the safety of the iconic structure.

Charminar was built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth king of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

The 428-year-old edifice, stands at a staggering 160 feet from ground level. It has four minarets after which it is named.