Under-construction building collapses in Rohini, killing one
Amid heavy downpour in the National Capital, one person was killed, and two others were rescued after an under-construction building collapsed in Rohini on Wednesday evening, triggering a massive rescue operation as seven to 10 people, reportedly, remained trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapse occurred around 4:20 pm, opposite a house near the MCD school in Sector 16, Rohini. Teams from the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and other emergency response agencies rushed to the spot. They launched rescue operations, using hydraulic cutters and specialised equipment to clear the debris.
Rohini DCP Shashank Jaiswal said one person was declared dead, while rescuers could hear the voices of at least five to six people trapped beneath the collapsed structure. “The debris is extensive,” the officer said, adding that, as a precautionary measure, police evacuated houses within a 50-metre radius of the site.
According to local sources, the four-storey building was old and undergoing reconstruction when it collapsed. Apart from labourers engaged in the construction work, some passersby are also believed to be trapped under the debris. Additionally, some cars parked around the now-dilapidated building are reportedly trapped.
Even before specialised rescue teams reached the site, residents began clearing broken bricks, concrete slabs and mangled iron rods with their bare hands in a desperate effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble. Videos circulating on social media also showed people forming human chains to pass debris along, while some fetched shovels and other tools from nearby homes and construction sites to aid the rescue efforts.
According to local sources, nearly seven to ten people were feared trapped when rescue operations began. Two people were pulled out alive, according to PTI, while efforts continued late into the evening to reach others. DFS identified one victim as Saddham (32), who was taken to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital for treatment.
A video released by the DFS showed firefighters carefully removing heavy concrete slabs with hydraulic cutters to avoid causing further injury to those trapped. In the clip, a firefighter lay flat on the rubble and peered through a narrow opening where a trapped person’s hand protruded from beneath the debris. The firefighter was heard reassuring the victim, saying, “Aap chinta mat kariye, aapko bacha lenge sir” (“Do not worry, we will rescue you”), while asking colleagues to bring a torch to assess the person’s condition through the small gap.
Rohini Councillor Pardeep Mittal, who visited the site, said the administration’s immediate priority was to rescue those trapped. He said strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible for the incident once the rescue operation was over.
The Delhi Fire Services received the call at 4:19 pm. They dispatched multiple units, including a water tender, two water bowsers, a multipurpose vehicle and an incident response team to the spot.
In a statement, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said the area where the collapse occurred had been denotified in 2016 and handed over to the local body. It said all building activities in the denotified area are under the jurisdiction of the local civic authorities. Investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway.
Delhi has experienced heavy rainfall this week, but authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the recent building collapse. Notably, this accident occurred a month after the Saket building collapse, which claimed six lives and injured several others.
