New Delhi: The death toll in the building collapse near Chawri Bazar in Old Delhi rose to seven on Sunday after rescuers recovered another body from the debris, more than 70 hours after the three-storey structure collapsed on Diwali morning.
The seventh victim was identified as Luchhuman Mukhiya, 66, a resident of Jakauli village in Bihar's Darbhanga district. His body was taken to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, the Delhi Police said.
Two of the six earlier victims were recovered on Thursday, the day of the collapse, while four others were pulled out on Saturday.
Rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Service and the National Disaster Response Force continued operations at the site on Sunday. Officials said they had not ruled out the possibility of more workers being trapped under the debris. The two people injured in the collapse are stable.
The seven deceased have been identified as Sanjeet Kumar, Kishori Sah, Pankaj Sharma, Vipin Ram, Shantu, Dinesh Sah and Luchhuman Mukhiya. Four of them were residents of Bihar, while Vipin Ram lived in Mandawali in east Delhi, police said.
The building, described as unauthorised by both the police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, had no sanctioned building plan. It collapsed around 9.45 am on November 5 while the roof slab of its third floor was being laid. A preliminary investigation indicated that the supporting pillars gave way under the load.
The building owner, Saimullah alias Ayub, a resident of Gali Shahtara, and three contractors — Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan — have been arrested. The contractors were picked up from Sirohi in Faridabad.
All four have been booked under Sections 105, 290, 125(a) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligent conduct in relation to buildings, acts endangering life or personal safety, and common intention.
With input from media reports.