Delhi building collapse: 2 labourers killed, several feared trapped in Chawri Bazar

A four-storey under-construction building collapsed in Chawri Bazar, Delhi, causing tragic fatalities and injuries

NEW DELHI: A four-storey under-construction building collapsed in central Delhi's Chawri Bazar Thursday, killing two labourers and injuring many others. Several people are still feared trapped in the rubble.Locals said around 15 people were working at the site when the building collapsed around 9.30am.The structure’s third floor gave way as workers were laying the lintel, bringing down the building, officials and residents said.Delhi Fire Service officials said seven people had been pulled out of the rubble with two succumbing to injuries. Teams from Delhi Police, NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and MCD are still looking for others who might be trapped.

This is the fourth major building collapse in three months in Delhi.

Had inspected ill-fated building: MCD

The deceased have been identified as Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45, and among the injured were Sahdev Chaudhary, 25, and Firoz, 37.All four lived in Mandawali’s Railway Colony. An FIR under Section 105 BNS (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against building owner Samiullah and contractors has been registered.A senior police officer said they had alerted MCD about the unauthorised construction nearly five months ago.

MCD said it conducted an inspection, during which the owner was found undertaking repair work. It said no subsequent complaint about fresh construction or demolition of the building was received later.MCD suspended an assistant and a junior engineer for prima facie “severe dereliction of duty” pending further inquiry. CM Rekha Gupta along with minister Ashish Sood and Union MoS Harsh Malhotra inspected the spot.Police sources said the building was not constructed properly and quality of construction material may have been poor. “They were adding more floors, but the foundation may not have been strong enough," sources said.

‘Heard Two Loud Bangs, Homes Started Shaking’

“The two loud bangs were followed by the neighbouring buildings shaking. We rushed to the spot and started clearing the rubble. We rescued as many injured people as we could,” said Khaleel, who had just walked past the lane when the building collapsed.Recalling the incident, Naeem, a neighbour, said, “I was having breakfast when I heard a loud noise. I rushed downstairs and saw a labourer running from the collapse site. He had injuries on his back, shoulder and hands.”

Construction work was under way on the fourth floor of the building (Photo credit: Jatin Kumar)

Another resident, Md Huzaif, said one labourer managed to save himself by holding on to a pillar as the structure came down. “Neighbours tied ropes and pulled him up to an adjacent house,” he said.The building stood opposite a mosque, prompting concerns among residents about what could have happened had it collapsed during prayers.“We are lucky it did not collapse during namaz. Otherwise, many more people might have been trapped. It was probably for the first time that the mosque had been shut; even during the pandemic one or two people would come for prayers,” Huzaif said.Locals alleged the building was being constructed in haste ahead of the winter curbs on construction.Kamran Hashmi, a resident, claimed three floors had come up in just over a month.

According to him, the building and an adjoining structure belonged to the same family. The old structure, which had two floors, was demolished a few months ago to make way for a five-storey building, he alleged.“They gave only two days for the lintel to strengthen before beginning construction work on the next floor,” a neighbour claimed.The site was divided between two brothers, locals said. While one’s five-storey structure had been completed, the other’s was under construction.Meanwhile, the collapse left families of workers waiting anxiously for word of their loved ones.Birender, whose brother Pankaj, a native of Bihar’s Khagaria, was working at the site, said he had been unable to contact him since morning.“I received the news from a relative. When I called him, his phone was switched off. There is no news of him so far. He had been working at the construction site for the past six months. We have been living in the Mandawli area since,” he said.

“I am getting calls from the family members in my hometown now… what do I say to them?” a visibly worried Birender said.