4 minor students among 5 killed as two floors of building collapses in Delhi's Bhajanpura

Five people, including four minor students, were killed after two floors of an under-construction building housing a coaching class collapsed in Bhajanpura area in northeast Delhi on Saturday, fire officials said.

They said around 30 students, all minors, were attending classes at the coaching centre when the upper two floors of the four-storeyed building collapsed, trapping them under the debris.

The fourth floor of the building was under construction and did not have a roof, the officials said.

The Fire Department received a call around 4.30 pm, following which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the officials said.

Thirteen people, including minor students, have been shifted to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, they said, adding that Umesh Kashyap, the owner of the building, is also among the dead.

Condoling the death of the four students, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal said he has directed all concerned to provide all possible support for the speedy recovery of the injured.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic deaths including those of innocent children during the building collapse in Bhajanpura, East Delhi. May God give strength to their family and loved ones to deal with this tragedy," Baijal tweeted.

"Have directed all concerned to provide all possible support for the speedy recovery of the injured. Action will be taken against those found guilty of lapses which led to this tragic accident," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the accident site, also expressed grief over the death of the four students in the incident.

"Visited site of Bhajanpura accident. Am pained by tragic death of 4 students and owner of the coaching institute. One illegal floor was being constructed which collapsed. Inquiry is being ordered. Guilty shall not be spared. Sending proposal for compensation to EC for approval," the chief minister tweeted.

Arif Sultan, the father of one of the deceased, identified as Farhan Sultan (6), said, "My son was studying on the second floor along with 10 to 15 other students. My daughter, who was in eighth standard called me and informed about the incident. I rushed to the spot and climbed the stairs. I took out my child by myself after around one-and-a-half hour. He was not breathing. We took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead."

"The area has very narrow lanes. It is not possible for the fire brigade to come inside," he said.

Laxmi, the mother of deceased Krishna and injured Nitin, said, "My children were studying there from past six months. They should not have moved them to the third floor as we heard from the other locals that the construction material was there. I lost my son Krishna and Nitin is injured. He is admitted at the GTB hospital."

Sushil Sharma, who was among the first to reach the spot after the incident, said the locals entered the building through the roof of an adjoining building and started removing the students trapped under the debris.

He said his twin nieces studying in the same institute, both in class 10, preferred to study at home on Saturday.