Narrow lanes slow rescue after Old Delhi building collapse
Rescue teams are using manual labour and small equipment to search for people trapped under a collapsed four-storey building in Chawri Bazar.
Rescue operations at a collapsed building in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar were hindered on Thursday because 2.5-foot-wide lanes prevented heavy machinery from reaching the site, according to Urban Acres.
The four-storey under-construction building in Sheesh Mahal Gali collapsed, killing two labourers and injuring two others. Several other people are feared trapped under the rubble.
Personnel from the Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are using gas cutters, chipping hammers, and compact cutting machines to break concrete into pieces that can be carried by hand.
A rescue official stated that heavy machinery cannot enter the main street or the site, which is making it difficult to speed up the operation. An NDRF official added that the manual nature of the work is significantly slowing the search and debris clearance.
Rescuers partially demolished an adjacent new building to create an access point, but the narrow lanes and close buildings continue to pose logistical challenges. Poor visibility due to blocked daylight also remains an issue.
The MCD has been asked to provide streetlights and floodlights to assist the search. An NDRF official said the efforts to clear debris and search the structure could continue through the night.