New Delhi: A three-storey building under construction in Old Delhi’s congested Chawri Bazar area collapsed Thursday, killing two people and trapping several under the debris.
The building, coming up in crammed Gali Sitara near the Chawri Bazar metro station, gave way around 9.45 am. Frantic rescue operations continued through the day to pull out those buried under the rubble of twisted wires, pylons and concrete slabs, police said.
“So far, four persons have been rescued from the debris. Of these, two have unfortunately succumbed to their injuries, while the other two are stable and out of danger,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh.
“Around 10 to 15 labourers were here when the construction was going on,” he said.
Officials said it was an unauthorised construction coming on a 50 square metre plot. No building plan had been sanctioned for the structure, and the civic body had received no complaints regarding the construction, a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official added.
The two who died were identified as Kishori (40) and Sanjeet (45), both residents of railway colony in Mandawali area and working as labourers at the construction site. The two others — Sahdev Chaudhary (25) and Firoz (37) — are recovering from their injuries.
Joint rescue operations involving Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and MCD are underway.
Police have registered an FIR under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the building owners and contractors.
The Delhi Police had flagged unauthorised construction on the property in June.
In a communication dated June 15, addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of the MCD’s City Sadar Paharganj Zone, the SHO of Hauz Qazi police station informed the civic body that unauthorised construction was being carried out.
The letter described the work as new construction spread over approximately 70 square yards and identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan.
An MCD official said construction work at the building had virtually stopped around 15 days ago. The building, which had gone up to the third floor, collapsed while the roof slab was being constructed.
“The material used was non-engineered and had not set properly, which eventually led to the collapse,” the official said.
He said police had identified the builders and efforts were underway to nab them.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered an inquiry into the collapse and directed the registration of an FIR against the contractor. She also ordered the immediate suspension of the junior engineer (JE) and assistant engineer (AE) concerned and directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and provide immediate ex-gratia assistance to the affected families.
“Stringent action will be taken against those found responsible, in accordance with the law,” Gupta said.
Following the chief minister’s directions, the MCD suspended the JE and AE.
Besides, the Deputy Commissioner of the Old Delhi Zone placed them under suspension with immediate effect, citing a prima facie case of serious negligence in the discharge of their duties.
Locals recounted hearing a loud crash as the structure crumbled.
“My family members were trapped behind the building, but they are fine. Two people have been pulled out. One was severely injured and bleeding heavily, while another body was brought out packed,” said a resident who rushed to the spot moments after the collapse.
“The owners are four members of a family… they are brothers,” he said.
Another local resident said he reached the market around 10.30 am and witnessed rescue teams pulling a person out of the debris.
“One person was pulled out by the rescue teams in front of us, and a body was later taken away in an ambulance. We do not know exactly how many people are trapped,” he said.
He added that people were not being allowed near the site as authorities feared the adjoining building could also be unstable.
Residents also alleged that the building, whose construction started around four months ago, was being constructed in haste ahead of the seasonal ban on construction activities, with work progressing rapidly in the days leading up to the collapse.
This is the second major building collapse incident in Delhi in less than two weeks, raising fresh concerns over structural safety and unauthorised construction in the national capital.
On October 25, a portion of an old building along with its newly constructed first-floor structure collapsed at Milan Garden in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar, killing a 60-year-old man and his 33-year-old son.
Three major building collapse incidents have been reported between September 6 and October 25, claiming lives of 13 people.
The first incident occurred September 6 in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan, where a five-storey building housing a paying guest accommodation collapsed, killing seven people, including students and workers.
On October 7, a four-to-five-storey residential building collapsed in New Seemapuri in northeast Delhi, leaving four people dead and some others injured.
The third incident took place October 25 at Milan Garden in Harsh Vihar, where an old building and a newly constructed additional floor collapsed, killing two people.