4 killed in Delhi building collapse

At least four people were killed and 14 others rescued after a four-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Mustafabad in the early hours of Saturday, with several people still feared trapped under the debris, an official said.

The incident took place around 3 am, following which rescue operations involving teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and Delhi Police were launched, senior police officer Sandeep Lamba said.

“14 people have been rescued, and four have died. About 8-10 people are still feared trapped,” Mr Lamba said.

Asked about the reason behind the collapse, Mr Lamba said they will investigate it.

The injured have been taken to the GTB hospital.

An official described it as a “pancake collapse”, in which, he said, the chances of survival are “minimal”.

“Still, we hope there are lives that can be saved and are actively searching. Debris is being cleared slowly and thoroughly checked,” according to NDRF’s Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohsen Shahidi.

He also said that working in such congested areas is “extremely challenging”.

“The use of heavy machinery to clear debris is limited due to space constraints,” Mr Shahidi said.

Rajendra Atwal, the Divisional Fire Officer, said they received a call about the incident at around 2:50 am.

“We reached the spot and found out that the entire building had collapsed, and people were trapped under the debris. The NDRF and the Delhi Fire Services are working to rescue the people,” he said.

The house collapse incident was reported hours after parts of Delhi witnessed heavy rain, accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms.

Last week, a wall of an under-construction building collapsed during a severe dust storm near Madhu Vihar, leaving one person dead and two others injured._NDTV