Contractor, his father dead in under-construction building collapse in Delhi's Harsh Vihar

Two people who were feared trapped under the debris of an under-construction building that collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar on Sunday evening were pulled out dead during an overnight rescue operation, police said.

The deceased, a 60-year-old man and his 33-year-old son, were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

The deceased were identified as Chanderpal and his son Vijay Kumar, both residents of Gali No. 14 in Harsh Vihar, who had taken the contract of construction, according to police.

The collapse

Police said the collapse occurred in Milan Garden on Sewa Dham Road at around 6.46pm on Sunday. A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said six fire tenders were initially pressed into service after the department received information about the incident.

Police personnel, fire service teams, Civil Defence volunteers and a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot to assist in the rescue operation.

Two ambulances and a crane were also deployed at the site, police said. Rescue teams worked through the night to clear the rubble and search for people who were trapped.

Preliminary inspection suggested that the ground floor of the building was an old structure, reportedly used as a godown, while a first floor had been constructed above it. Both portions collapsed, police said.

Police said that the property is owned by a man identified as Manoj Kumar. Police said the owner had been traced and legal action under relevant provisions of law was being initiated.

Further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether any violations contributed to it.

Recent building collapses in Delhi

The incident adds to a series of building collapses in the Capital in recent months that have raised concerns about structural safety, unauthorised construction and enforcement of building regulations.

On October 7, at least four people were killed when a building collapsed in New Seemapuri. Investigators suspected that demolition work at an adjacent building, involving vibrating machinery, may have triggered the collapse.

Earlier, on September 6, a multi-storey boys’ hostel collapsed, killing seven people, including five Delhi University students and two labourers. Unauthorised construction was suspected of contributing to the incident.

In another major collapse on May 30, six people, including five doctors and engineers and an eatery owner, were killed when a building came down in south Delhi’s Saidulajab. Unauthorised construction was also suspected of playing a role in that incident.