Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Saturday blamed 15 years of systemic corruption and vote bank politics for the Seelampur building collapse that claimed two lives, and said such incidents are recurring only in “certain types of areas” of the city. Mishra alleged that a similar tragedy occurred recently in Mustafabad and warned that unless illegal and unsafe constructions are tackled head-on, such incidents will continue.
“In certain types of areas, buildings are collapsing,” Mishra, the Culture and Tourism Minister, said while inspecting the site of the collapse in the Welcome area of Seelampur in northeast Delhi.
“In the last 10-15 years, a terrible game of corruption has been played due to vote-bank politics. The massive corruption has led to unauthorised multi-storey structures. Six-floor buildings are coming up without any safety standards,” he added. Mishra warned that adjacent structures near the collapsed building in Seelampur are also vulnerable. “They might collapse when we remove the debris,” he said, holding previous governments responsible for allowing rampant illegal construction.
“They are responsible for these deaths, those who allowed such buildings and have now fled Delhi.” Eight people, including a one-year-old baby, were injured when the four-storey building came crashing down on Saturday morning, with a few still feared to be trapped under the rubble. The owner of the building and his wife were among those who died in the accident.
Later, in a post on X, Mishra called for a thorough investigation into the accident and stringent punishment for those responsible.
“At some point, someone will have to speak openly about these issues. Who allowed five-storey buildings to be built illegally, often on iron tracks? Who took the money and gave the nod?” he said.
Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari in a post on X said, “A tragic incident has occurred in the JJ Cluster area of Welcome, located in the Seelampur Assembly segment of our Lok Sabha constituency, where a three-storey building has collapsed. The NDRF has reached the spot and is engaged in the rescue operation.”
“I have spoken to the officials. Due to the extremely narrow lanes, only 2-3 feet wide, the operation is facing some difficulties. However, four people have been rescued and taken to the hospital. They are out of danger. Sadly, two fatalities have been reported,” he added. Tiwari said that one or two people may still be trapped. “As the area is very congested, we request everyone to avoid entering the lanes until the operation is complete. Senior officials are present at the site,” he posted.