Two Dead in Delhi Building Collapse
Three-storey under-construction building collapses in Chawri Bazaar; one injured and several feared trapped as rescue operations continue.
- Two people killed in the Chawri Bazaar building collapse.
- One person injured; several feared trapped under debris.
- Six fire service units deployed for rescue operations.
- Narrow lanes and parked vehicles obstruct rescue efforts.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Nov: A Delhi building collapse in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazaar claimed two lives on Thursday morning after a three-storey under-construction structure suddenly came crashing down. At least one person was injured, while several others are feared trapped beneath the debris.
The incident was reported around 9:50 am in Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station. At least six fire service units, including water tenders and rescue vehicles, were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations.
Eyewitnesses Recall Terrifying Moments
An eyewitness, Mohd Nayeem, said the collapse occurred around 9:30 am while residents were asleep.
“We were asleep when we heard a crashing sound. We all got up and rushed outside. We thought our own house was collapsing. When we checked, we realised it was the house being built next door,” he said.
According to local residents, the building had been under construction for the past three to four months and was not occupied by any family. Only construction workers were reportedly present inside when the structure collapsed.
The property owner is said to have been living with his family in rented accommodation.
Narrow Lanes Complicate Rescue Operations
Visuals from the spot showed a portion of the building reduced to rubble, with debris scattered across a narrow lane surrounded by adjoining structures.
The congested streets of Old Delhi and vehicles parked along both sides created difficulties for emergency personnel attempting to reach the affected location.
Residents were seen moving their vehicles to clear the way for ambulances and rescue vehicles. Firefighters and rescue workers had to walk several metres through the narrow passage to reach the collapse site.
Delhi Sees Repeated Building Collapse Incidents
The latest tragedy comes amid a series of building collapse incidents in the national capital.
Earlier, two men, identified as Chanderpal, 60, and Vijay Kumar, 33, died after two slabs of a building collapsed in the Milan Garden area of northeast Delhi. The incident occurred during construction of an additional floor above an existing house.
On October 7, three people, including a child, lost their lives after a four-storey building collapsed in Seemapuri, northeast Delhi. Eight injured people were rescued and taken to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur.
Saurabh Bharadwaj Questions MCD Safety Audits
Reacting to Thursday’s incident, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), questioning the effectiveness of building safety inspections.
Following the September 6 collapse of a building operating as a boys’ paying guest accommodation in South Delhi’s Satya Niketan, the MCD had reportedly conducted safety audits of buildings across the capital.
Bharadwaj questioned why building collapses continued despite these inspections.
“Rekha Gupta’s government and MCD conducted multiple safety audits of all buildings in Delhi, yet buildings keep collapsing. Why?” he asked.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns over construction safety, structural inspections and enforcement of municipal regulations in densely populated areas of the capital.
