Three people, including a child and a 21-year-old pregnant woman, were killed and eight others injured after a building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri area on Wednesday, officials said.
Eleven people were rescued from the debris by evening. Eight of them were injured and were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for treatment, officials said.
The deceased include a girl aged around 12 years, whose identity is yet to be ascertained; Gulafsa, 21, who was approximately four months pregnant; and another child aged around one-and-a-half years, whose identity is yet to be established.
Eight Injured Shifted To Hospital
The injured were identified as Momin Mirja, 56; Abdaan, three; Abdul Rehman, 28; Devruddin, 28; Salma, 50; Chote, 34; Sakina, 35; and Samad, 30, officials said.
The rescue operation remained underway, with teams continuing to clear the debris and search the affected area.
Earthquake-Related Cracks Suspected
Authorities are suspecting that cracks which appeared in the building following tremors caused by an earthquake in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening may have led to the collapse.
The actual cause of the incident, however, is yet to be ascertained.
According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), neighbours said cracks had appeared in the structure following the earthquake and that the building owner was in the process of vacating it.
The MCD said the building was around 20-25 years old and occupied at the time of the incident.
Building Collapsed Near Idgah Machhli Mandi
The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call regarding the collapse at around 3:30 pm and rushed fire tenders to the spot.
Teams from the Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), MCD and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) launched search-and-rescue operations.
According to police, the four-storey building was constructed on a plot measuring approximately 225 square feet. The MCD, however, described it as a three-storey structure in a jhuggi-jhopri area spread over around 22 square yards in the DUSIB area near the Idgah Machhli Mandi.
Adjoining Walls Also Collapse
The MCD said walls of an adjoining building had fallen, while the boundary wall of a nearby mosque also collapsed due to the impact of the incident.
According to local enquiries, families involved in ragpicking were present in the area, with some collecting plastic and other material when they were trapped under the debris.
There was a discrepancy in the number of people rescued in the initial statements issued by police and the MCD.
Locals Join Rescue Efforts
Visuals from the spot showed locals joining the rescue operation and clearing debris with their hands. They were seen removing bricks and rubble from the collapsed structure and helping people trapped underneath.
In a video clip, a group of people could be seen pulling a woman out of the debris and carrying her away in their arms. Several people were also seen crying near the site.
Heavy machinery, including excavators, was deployed to clear large piles of rubble, while paramedics and emergency personnel attended to those rescued and shifted the injured to hospital.
A resident said several people were rescued and taken to hospital by locals.
“Police came after half an hour. A child is still trapped under the debris and some have been rescued by people and sent to hospitals. I have given CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) myself. Two-three persons have been sent to the hospital,” he said.
Rescue Operations Continue
The MCD said joint teams of the NDRF, MCD, DFS, Delhi Police and DDMA were engaged in clearing the debris and searching the affected area.
“The operation is ongoing and further details regarding the incident are being collected,” a police officer said.
The incident came a month after a building in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on September 6, leaving seven people dead and 12 injured.
Traffic Advisory Issued
The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory asking commuters to avoid the area as traffic movement was affected around the Seemapuri roundabout, DLF Bhopura and adjoining roads.
It appealed to people not to stop or park their vehicles or gather near the site of the collapse, saying keeping the lanes clear would allow ambulances and rescue vehicles to move faster.
Rescue-and-relief operations are continuing at the spot.