Couple killed as house roof collapses in New Usmanpur, case filed against owner
A couple died after the roof of their one-storey house collapsed in Delhi’s New Usmanpur area, police said on Monday.
The incident took place at around 10 pm on Sunday in JP Nagar under the New Usmanpur police station limits. A child, who was present close to the house, escaped unhurt, they said.
According to the police, the couple was inside the rented accommodation when the roof of the house suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris. Police, fire department personnel and rescue teams rushed to the spot after receiving information about the collapse and launched a rescue operation. The couple was pulled out from the rubble and taken to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
The deceased were identified as Tinku (32) and his wife Urmila (30), police said. Police said the exact cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained. An investigation into the incident is underway. The bodies have been sent to GTB Hospital for post-mortem.
A case under Sections 290 (negligent conduct) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against the owner of the house, Virender Kumar. Further investigation is in progress.
Soon after the roof collapsed, scores of residents gathered at the spot and joined the rescue efforts before emergency teams arrived. Balbir Singh, a local, said he was returning home when his son informed him about the incident.
“When I reached the spot, I saw a large number of residents, including men, women and youngsters, clearing the debris to rescue the trapped couple. They were pulled out and rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save them,” Singh said.
He claimed the house was around 20 years old and that the landlord had recently asked the tenants to vacate it to undertake repair work. “It is a very tragic incident,” he added.
Another resident, Ram Yadav, said locals immediately alerted the police and started rescue operations. He said the couple’s child escaped unhurt as he was playing outside the house when the roof collapsed.
