In a tragic incident, a nightmare unfolded in Mustafabad area of North East Delhi in the early hours of Sunday when a four-storey building came crashing down like a stack of cards, leaving 11 people dead including two women. Atleast 11 of them were pulled out alive by rescue teams and rushed to a hospital, where five are undergoing treatment, while six have been discharged.
Using cranes and thermal cameras, rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services, Delhi Police and other volunteers carried out rescue efforts for over 12 hours at the site of the 20-year-old four-storey structure that collapsed in the Mustafabad area of the national capital around 3 am, trapping several under the rubble. The congested bylanes of Mustafabad are making it harder to move heavy equipment.
Reacting to the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed her condolences and ordered a probe into the incident, assuring that strict action will be ensured against the culprits. “May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss,” she said on social media. CM Gupta said the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service (DFS), and other agencies are engaged in relief and rescue efforts. “Arrangements have been made for proper treatment of all the injured,” she said. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, in a statement, said that the structure was around 20 years old and was fully occupied.
According to police, there were 22 people at the building, most of them families. The owner of the building, Tehseen, and six from his family were among the 11 who died in the building collapse.
Police said they received information about the building collapse around 3.02 am at Dayalpur police station. A police team rushed to Gali No. 1, Shakti Vihar, where the building was found to have collapsed. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), and ambulance services were immediately pressed into action. Police said around 22 people were reported to be trapped when the building collapsed.
According to Rajender Atwal, Divisional Fire Officer of the Delhi Fire Service, the office was alerted about the incident at 2.50 am. When the fire officials reached there, they found the entire building had collapsed and some were trapped, he said. CCTV in an adjacent alley has captured the moment the building collapsed. The footage showed a sudden spark and a thick cloud of dust filling the alley, preventing any further recording. The police said that several families were suspected to be
staying inside the building on rent and the tragedy occurred when the occupants were sleeping.
It was a harrowing experience for neighbours living next to the ill-fated building as some of the residents said it felt as it an earthquake had hit them. Even before they could comprehend as to what was happening, everything was covered in dust, shaken survivors recounted. “It felt like an earthquake. The floor shook beneath us and before we could understand anything, everything was covered in dust,” said Shiv Vihar local Ryan who lives next to the building that collapsed on Saturday morning.
A police source said construction work in the “two-three shops” on the ground floor could have led to the collapse. Locals said construction work going on at a new shop could have triggered the collapse. They also expressed concern about the fragile state of four to five buildings. Waste water from the sewer has been seeping into the walls of the buildings for years, and over time, the moisture has weakened the structure, causing the walls to develop cracks.
NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi said “We call this a ‘pancake collapse’ -- a particularly dangerous type where chances of survival are minimal. Still, we hope there are lives that can be saved and we are actively searching.” He added that debris is being cleared slowly as this is a highly congested area, making the rescue efforts challenging. “ The use of heavy machinery to clear debris is limited due to space constraints. Apart from the NDRF and fire services teams, Delhi Police personnel and and volunteers are working together in the rescue operation, he said.
AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also extended his condolences to the bereaved families. MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar has been ordered to investigate the incident and has also been directed to suspend the concerned officers for their negligence.