Compensation demands grow after Rohini building collapse

The family of Ram, a 42-year-old man killed in the Rohini building collapse, has begun an indefinite protest at the cave-in site and refused to take his body or perform his last rites, demanding compensation for his widow and two school-going children.

A mechanic by profession, he was one of three people who died after an under-construction four-storey building at properties G-4/152 and G-4/153 near an MCD school collapsed in Rohini’s Sector 16 on Wednesday, around 4.20 pm amid heavy rain, burying workers and others under tonnes of concrete.

While rescue teams worked through the night to recover those trapped under the debris, his family sat, mourning a loss they say has destroyed the future of an entire household.

Ram died when the building collapsed on him while he was passing by with his friend, who was saved.

“We have refused to take the body despite people telling us to complete the formalities, but we won’t. We need financial help so that his wife can earn a livelihood and ensure that their two sons, studying in Classes VI and IX do not have to abandon their education. We are sitting on an indefinite strike. If nobody listens to us, we will intensify our protest. My brother is gone, but his family is still alive,” Ram’s twin brother, Shyam, said.

His voice breaking repeatedly, Shyam said, “Our family is devastated. We are not asking for anything unreasonable.” The family, he said, would not collect Ram’s body from the mortuary until the Government gives them a written assurance of compensation, as the family had already endured the worst imaginable moment.

“We have already seen Ram in the worst possible condition. Whether his body remains in the mortuary for two days or four days makes no difference to us now. What matters is that the Government comes forward to help the family,” he said.

Just a few metres away from where Ram lost his life, another family was grappling with an equally painful loss. Twenty-four-year-old Noorul, alias Kaif, had come to Delhi barely three months ago, hoping to earn enough to support his mother and siblings. Instead, his family will receive his body.

A relative of Noorul and survivor Saddam, alias Ravi, said the building collapsed so suddenly that the workers had no chance to escape.

“It all happened in less than 30 seconds. We could not even understand what had happened before the entire building came crashing down,” he said, adding that Saddam was working near the building’s exterior when the structure collapsed. Though trapped beneath the debris, rescuers located him.

“They gave him water and even supplied oxygen through a pipe while he remained trapped. After several hours, they pulled him out alive,” the relative said.

Saddam is undergoing treatment at a Government hospital, but is traumatised.

“He is still in fear. He cannot even think about the incident. Whenever he remembers those moments, he becomes frightened,” the relative said.

Noorul, however, never made it out. “He had never spoken harshly to anyone. He was a very helpful person and always thought about his family first,” the relative said.

He said Noorul supported five members, including his mother and siblings, and had started working at the construction site only two or three days before the fatal collapse.

“He had dreams of earning more so his family could live a better life. Now everything has ended. The Government must announce compensation for the loss, so his family could survive,” the relative said. 

The death toll rose to three on Thursday after rescue personnel recovered two more bodies during an overnight operation. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said Saddam alias Ravi, 32, was rescued alive and shifted to the hospital.  The deceased were identified as Ram, Noorul alias Kaif, Ram Dua, the father of the building owner, he said. 

Police said an FIR has been registered and the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.

The rescue operation involved personnel from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Revenue Department and other agencies. By Thursday, officials said the rescue operation was almost complete and debris removal was continuing to ensure no one remained trapped.