Delhi Building Collapse Death Count Rises To 3 As Rescue Ops Enter Day 3

The death count in the building collapse in Old Delhi's Hauz Qazi area has risen to three after rescuers recovered another body from the debris, even as rescue operations continued at the site on Saturday.

According to officials, the body of Pankaj Sharma (40), son of Hazari Sharma and a resident of Bihar's Khagaria district, was recovered during the ongoing search and rescue operation at the collapse site in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar Metro station.

With the latest recovery, a total of five people have been rescued or recovered from the debris so far, including three people who died and two injured persons. Both injured persons have received medical treatment and are now stable.

The three-storey structure collapsed around 9:45 am on Thursday, triggering a massive rescue operation involving the Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh had said that around 10 to 15 labourers were present at the construction site when the building came crashing down.

Rescue teams have remained at the site since the incident, with operations continuing to clear debris and search for any remaining victims trapped underneath.

Preliminary findings have raised questions over the legality and safety of the construction. The building was allegedly being constructed without the requisite approval on a 50-square-metre plot, and no building plan had been sanctioned for the structure, according to an MCD official.

The civic body said the construction had reached the third floor and collapsed while the roof slab was being laid. The official added that non-engineered construction material had been used and had not set properly, which eventually led to the collapse.