JOIN USTwo children died as a portion of a neighbour’s house collapsed while they were playing in West Delhi’s Nihal Vihar. Two more children were injured.
Bharti, 4, Sonam, 5, Monica, 5, and Satyam, 3, were playing outside their house in Sriram Colony on Saturday evening when a nearby house collapsed and fell on them.
Police reached the spot even as the neighbours were clearing the debris and attempting to rescue them. Bharti and Sonam died on the spot and Monica and Satyam were injured.
The front portion of the two-storey building collapsed completely and soon after fire services were called.
Three cases have been registered against the owner of the house – section 286, for negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance, section 337, for causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others and section 304 (A) for causing death by negligence of the Indian Penal Code.
Neighbours told police that the building was old and belonged to a man who has left the country. He had given the house on rent.
But the present owners are seldom there and have kept the house locked for the past five to six years.
Monica suffered a severe head injury while Satyam is injured in his hands and feet. They both were admitted to Mansaram Hospital in Nangloi. Satyam was discharged on Sunday, said police.
Neighbours told police that it was Sonam’s birthday next month on the 14th.
Sonam, Bharti, Monica and Satyam’s houses were opposite to the house that collapsed.
They used to play there often, said police. Bharti’s father has a cycle repair shop in
Nangloi and Sonam’s father is a contract labourer.