Three killed, 12 injured in Delhi building collapse

Three labourers, including a 50-year-old man, were killed and at least 12 others were injured when an under-construction building collapsed in north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar on Sunday. The owner of the building has been arrested, police said.

Kanwar Pal, Babloo Paswan, 25, and Ashok, 25, were killed, while the injured are Kali Charan, 20, Kusum Pal, 30, Sanjeev, 24, Amaruddin, 40, Anil Kumar, 38, Naresh, 35, Rudal Gupta, 30, Ram Sewak, 24, Veer Pal, 25, Madhu Ram, 40, Prem Vati, 47 and Dev Kumar, 26. 

They were taken to Sushruta Trauma Centre, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

According to police, Prem Vati is the sister-in-law of the owner of the building. “A call was made to the police control room regarding the incident at Gali Barna in Sadar Bazar around 1 pm. At the spot, we noticed that all the floors of the building had collapsed.

Most of the victims were present on the first floor of the building at the time of the collapse,” said a police officer.

Delhi Fire Services were also informed upon which three fire tenders and cranes were rushed to the spot to remove the debris. The search-and-rescue operations were on till 7 pm and the last trapped person was taken out at around 5 pm.

It has come to fore that the plot on which the construction was on was purchased a few months ago. Locals allege that work was going on at a rapid rate with all the three floors being constructed in the last 20 days.

Recounting his experience, a local said: “I was in my house when I heard a loud sound. I rushed out and saw all the three floors of the under-construction building reduced to debris. I saw the top half of a man’s body hanging with his legs sandwiched between debris. Some locals walking on the narrow road outside the collapsed building also sustained injuries.”

After initial probe, police and fire officers suspect that massive thunderstorm on Friday did not let the lower concrete structures harden and building floors above them put a lot of stress on the weak base leading to the collapse.

A case under sections 288 (negligent conduct) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered with Sadar Bazar police station against the owner of the building. “The accused has been arrested,” said DCP (North) Sindhu Pillai.

Suspended

North Corporation Commissioner Praveen Gupta has suspended the Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer with immediate effect.

An inquiry has also been ordered, and the Additional Commissioner (Engineering) will submit a report in a week. The commissioner also directed all the authorities concerned to show zero tolerance towards any unauthorised construction.