Bengaluru, Feb 7 (IANS): The city civic body ordered the destruction of a tilted building in the city after evacuating about 150 people from 35 families in the vicinity, an official said on Thursday.

"The top portion of the building has been destroyed 70 per cent today. Later, the destruction contractor will allow machines to be used," Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Yelahanka joint commissioner Ashok told IANS.

Located on Vinayaknagar Street in Hebbal Kempapura, the four-storey building being used as a hostel for boys got tilted on Wednesday morning, spreading panic in the neighbourhood.

Though the tilted building owned by one Rahul, a jeweller, was a sound structure, Ashok said a neighbour, Babu, hired a JCB excavator to dig deep beside the affected structure to build his own structure.

"Babu not only dug very deep, but also damaged the foundation pillar of the tilted building, weakening the structure and leading to its slant," said Ashok.

Babu has been booked and arrested even as the police are on the look out for the JCB owner and operator.

The titled building erected five floors unauthorisedly and falls into the B Katha category. It was constructed without the civic body's plan, said Ashok.

"Procedurally we issue notice, but such constructions are rampant in the city. Under the BBMP jurisdiction, there are 15 lakh B Katha structures," said Ashok.

For all B Katha sites, the civic body does not give any plan and there is no proper control on them, he said.

Ashok said the case to regularise the B Katha buildings to A Katha buildings is currently pending in the Supreme Court.

Luckily, no injury or loss of life has been reported from the tilted building.

The civic body arranged alternative accommodation for the affected families, but most of them chose to stay with their relatives, said Ashok.