Two dead as three-storey building collapses in Delhi's Chawri Bazar
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered the suspension of two engineers and an FIR against the contractor following the fatal incident.
A three-storey building collapsed in the Gali Sitara area of Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar on Thursday morning, killing two people. The incident occurred around 9:45 am while a concrete slab was being laid on the roof of the structure, according to reports from The News Mill and Hindustan Times.
The deceased have been identified as Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45, both residents of Mandawali's Railway Colony. Two other individuals, Sahdev Chaudhary, 25, and Firoz, 37, were rescued and are reported to be stable, according to the Deccan Chronicle.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and ordered the immediate suspension of a Junior Engineer and an Assistant Engineer from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). She also directed that an FIR be registered against the contractor and called for a thorough inquiry into the collapse.
Police have filed an FIR against the owners and the contractor under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh stated that the building collapsed while work was underway and that people in neighbouring buildings had been evacuated.
An MCD official noted that the 50-square-metre structure was being built without an approved plan. Although the MCD had not received complaints, a June 15 communication from the Hauz Qazi police station had flagged unauthorised construction at the property, identifying the landowner and contractor as Furqan.
Delhi Mayor Parvesh Wahi remarked that property owners also share responsibility for following construction regulations. Rescue operations involving the Delhi police, National Disaster Response Force, and fire services continued as concerns remained regarding the stability of an adjacent building.