NEW DELHI: In a devastating incident that shook the nation’s capital, at least 11 individuals lost their lives and many others sustained injuries when a multi-storey residential building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Shakti Vihar area in the early hours of Saturday. Among the deceased were Tehseen (60), the building’s owner, his son Nazeem (30), his wife Shahina (28), and their three children, Anas (6), Afreen (2), and Afan (2), as well as the owner’s younger daughter-in-law Chandni (23). Danish (23) and Naved (17), who were brothers, and Reshma (38) and Ishaq (75) also tragically lost their lives in the incident.
Six individuals were discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, including the owner’s son Chand (25), while nine others, including Tehseen’s wife, remain under medical care. The rescue efforts, led by teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services, Delhi Police, and dedicated volunteers, continued for over 12 hours at the site of the 20-year-old four-storey structure that collapsed in the Mustafabad area around 3 am.
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The building housed a total of 22 people, most of whom were families. Tehseen and six members of his family were among the 11 tragic casualties of the building collapse, as reported by news agency, citing police sources. Authorities suspect that construction work in two or three shops on the ground floor may have contributed to the collapse, with locals also raising concerns about ongoing construction activities at a new shop that could have triggered the tragic event. Additionally, residents expressed worries about the precarious state of four to five nearby buildings.
For years, wastewater from the sewer has been infiltrating the walls of the buildings, gradually weakening the structure and causing cracks to form, according to Salim Ali, a concerned resident.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi issued a statement revealing that the building in question was approximately 20 years old and was fully occupied.
Following the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta initiated an investigation and expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.
Residents of nearby buildings, who mistook the tremors for an earthquake, described feeling the ground beneath them shake.
Ryan, a resident of Shiv Vihar living adjacent to the collapsed building, recounted the moment, stating, “We initially thought something had struck our house, but upon looking outside, we were shocked to see the neighboring building reduced to rubble.”
Local residents speculated that ongoing construction work at a nearby shop may have triggered the collapse, raising concerns about the stability of several other buildings in the area.
Upon receiving reports of the building collapse at 3:02 am, the police swiftly responded and dispatched a team to Gali No. 1, Shakti Vihar, where 22 individuals were believed to be trapped under the debris.
Rescue operations were promptly launched, with teams from the NDRF, Delhi Fire Services (DFS), and ambulance services working tirelessly to extract the victims from the rubble and transport them to GTB Hospital for urgent medical attention.
NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi informed the news agency that the collapse is being referred to as a “pancake collapse,” which is an extremely perilous situation with very slim chances of survival. Despite the grim circumstances, the rescue team remains hopeful that there may still be lives that can be saved, and they are diligently conducting search operations.
Shahidi further explained that the clearance of debris is progressing slowly due to the high congestion in the area, which is posing significant challenges to the rescue efforts. The limited space available has also restricted the use of heavy machinery in the operation, as stated by Shahidi.
