In a tragic incident, six people, including a two-year-old girl, died and eight sustained injuries when a four-storey building collapsed in the Welcome area of northeast Delhi on Saturday morning. The bodies of the owner of the building, his wife, two sons and two others were retrieved from the debris and sent to the GTB Hospital.
Eight people have been hospitalised, while attempts are underway to rescue those still trapped under the rubble. Multiple agencies, including the NDRF, have been deployed for rescue operation. The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of old and densely-packed residential areas in the city, especially during the monsoon season. Initial findings suggest that the structure may have been weakened by age and heavy rainfall in recent days.
A senior police officer said, “At about 7.04 am on Saturday, we received an information regarding the collapse of a four-storey building near Idgah, Welcome. When the police team reached the spot, they found that three storeys of the building had collapsed.” “So far, eight injured persons have been rescued -- seven have been moved to the JPC Hospital and one to the GTB Hospital for treatment. All the listed missing persons have been rescued; however, the rescue operation is still ongoing,” he added.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Sandeep Lamba said, “The owner of the building, Matloob, lived in the building with his family members. The ground floor and first floor were unoccupied. The building opposite also sustained damage.”
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended her condolences to the families of the deceased. In a post on X, she stated: “An unfortunate building collapse was reported at Seelampur. As informed, four persons have been rescued and rushed to the nearest hospital for medical assistance. It is extremely sad to note that the incident has claimed two precious lives. “
Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra, along with senior officials, are visiting the site and monitoring the situation closely. The District Magistrate (DM) has been asked to submit a report on the incident. The rescue operation that is underway, is being carried out by the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, NDRF & Delhi Disaster Management Authority. Heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.”
Matloob, 50, his wife Rabia, 46, and two sons -- Javed, 23, and Abdulla, 15 -- died in the incident. Two more -- Zubia, 27, and her two-year-old daughter Fozia, also perished in the accident. The injured included Matloob’s two other sons -- Parvez, 32, his wife Siza, 21, and their one-year-old son Ahmad, and Naved, 19. Govind, 60, his brother Ravi Kashyap, 27, and their wives Deepa, 56, and Jyoti, 27, who lived in the opposite building, were also hospitalised with injuries.
Anees Ahmad Ansari, another person from the opposite building, said he too sustained minor injuries.
“As the building collapsed, the rubble hit our building, and I also got injured. Everyone, including locals, is busy trying to rescue the family. We hope that they are safe,” he said. The building collapsed when locals were out on their morning walks, many of whom acted as first responders and began trying to rescue those trapped before fire officials arrived at the spot.
Seven fire tenders rushed to the site at Gali No. 5 at Janta Colony close to Idgah road in Seelampur for rescue operations, Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said.
Asma, who lives in the neighbourhood, said, “At about 7 am, I was in my house when I heard a loud noise and there was dust all over. When I came down, I saw that our neighbour’s home had collapsed.” “We don’t know how many are trapped, but a family of 10 people lives there,” she said.