New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- Two labourers were killed and two others injured after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in the congested Chawri Bazar area of Old Delhi on Thursday morning, leaving several people feared to be trapped under the debris and triggering a multi-agency rescue operation. The tragedy has also brought construction safety and possible administrative lapses under scrutiny, with records showing that Delhi Police had alerted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to alleged unauthorised construction at the property nearly five months earlier.
The building collapsed around 9.48 am at property number 4548 in Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazar Metro station. The deceased were identified as Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45, both residents of Railway Colony in Mandawali. The two injured workers, Sahdev Chaudhary, 25, and Firoz, 37, were also from Mandawali and were reported to be stable.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh said around 10 to 15 labourers were present at the site when the structure gave way. Four people had been pulled out of the debris, while rescue teams continued searching for anyone who might remain trapped.
Personnel from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and MCD were deployed at the site. At least six fire units, along with rescue vehicles and water tenders, were pressed into service. The narrow lanes and closely packed buildings made access difficult, forcing emergency personnel to cover part of the distance on foot. Residents helped move parked vehicles to clear the way for ambulances.
Following the collapse, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and ordered a detailed inquiry, an FIR against the contractor and the suspension of the area's
Junior Engineer Aman Dalal and Assistant Engineer Mohammad Nadeem pending investigation. The MCD suspended both officials, citing a prima facie case of serious negligence.
Gupta directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and
provide immediate financial assistance to the affected families. She said those
found responsible would face action under the law.
Police registered a case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the building owners and contractors. Authorities also restricted movement around the site amid concerns that an adjoining structure could be unstable.
Preliminary findings by the MCD indicate that the building stood on a plot measuring approximately 70-80 square yards and collapsed while workers were removing the shuttering of the third-floor roof. The roof work had reportedly been completed around 15 days earlier. The civic body said no application seeking approval of a building plan had been submitted by the owner or builder.
An MCD official attributed the collapse to the use of non-engineered construction material that had not set properly. The exact cause, however, remains to be established through the investigation.
The incident has also raised questions about the civic body's response to earlier complaints. In a communication dated June 15, the Hauz Qazi police station's station house officer had informed the MCD's City-SP Zone about alleged unauthorised construction at the property. The letter described the work as new construction spread over approximately 70 square yards, identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan, and offered police assistance for necessary action.
The MCD said it had received the communication and conducted an inspection. According to its statement, the owner was found undertaking repair and maintenance work at the premises. The civic body maintained that it received no subsequent complaint about fresh construction involving demolition of the existing structure.
However, the MCD subsequently said the owner appeared to have undertaken fresh construction on the second and third floors under the guise of repair work, resulting in a ground-plus-three-floor structure without the requisite statutory permissions. It also said a written complaint had been submitted to the local police seeking an FIR against the owner.
The collapse is the latest in a series of fatal building accidents in the capital. A building collapse in northeast Delhi's Harsh Vihar on October 25 killed two people, while incidents in Satya Niketan on September 6 and New Seemapuri on October 7 claimed 11 lives.
Investigators are expected to examine the construction work, compliance with building regulations and possible lapses by the authorities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.