The moment of the sudden collapse was captured on film by a resident of Sarenga – a small community in the state of West Bengal – on Wednesday, as startled spectators looked on in shock.

Though constructed only four years ago, the foundation of the water tower appears to have given way under its own weight.

“We suspect that the soil loosened, resulting in the collapse of the tank. Investigations are going on and the exact cause will be found out,” an official of the Public Health Engineering Department told PTI, asking not to be named.

Fortunately, nobody was injured in the mishap, though it did leave some 15 villages without a supply of drinking water in lieu of the huge 700,000-liter tank. The construction company that originally built the tower is now expected to replace it, according to the terms of a five-year contract with the local government, the official said.

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