New Delhi [India], July 12: A multi-storey building collapsed in Delhi's Seelampur locality on Saturday morning, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to eight others, with several more feared trapped under the debris. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra launched a scathing attack on the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, blaming former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Minister Gopal Rai for the tragedy, which he alleged was a consequence of 'corruption' during their tenure.
The incident occurred at around 7 am in Gali Number 5 of Janata Colony, under the jurisdiction of the Welcome Police Station in North-East Delhi. The deceased were identified as Matloob (50) and his wife Rabia (46), whose bodies were recovered from the rubble.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police, civil defence, and local residents at the scene. Authorities fear that more individuals are still trapped beneath the debris.
Speaking to ANI, Minister Mishra said, "Two people have died, four people are admitted to the hospital, and there is a possibility of 2-3 people buried under debris. NDRF and the local administration are on the job here. We have vacated the nearby houses due to the fear of other buildings collapsing. Gopal Rai and Kejriwal are responsible for this due to their corruption."
Earlier in the day, Minister Kapil said that there have been difficulties in carrying out rescue and relief operations as the streets to the incident site is too narrow. He added that the debris out there could only be removed by hand.
Mishra stated that there are chances that more people are feared trapped under the debris.
"The NDRF team is also present here, but this alley is so narrow that there is no other option but to remove the debris by hand... Carrying out relief work here is very difficult, but we all want the debris to be cleared as soon as possible. There is a fear that some people are trapped in the debris, so we are trying to ensure they can be safely rescued. This is a very tragic incident, and so far, there have been reports of 2 deaths," the Delhi Minister told reporters.
According to latest information, the death toll has risen to 6, with four more deceased individuals identified. The victims include Javed, 23, son of Matloob; Abdulla, 15, son of Matloob; Zubia, 27, wife of Azam; and Fozia, 2, daughter of Azam. All the bodies have been recovered and sent to GTB Hospital.
Although the rescue operation is still ongoing, authorities have confirmed that all the listed missing persons have been rescued or recovered.
Eight people, including a 14-month-old child, were injured after a multi-storey building collapsed in the Seelampur area of North-East Delhi on Saturday morning.
The injured have been identified as Parvez (32), Naved (19), Siza (21), Deepa (56), Govind (60), Ravi Kashyap (27), Jyoti (27), and a 14-month-old child named Ahmad. All the injured were taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital, except the infant, who was referred to GTB Hospital.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for the North-East District, Sandeep Lamba, said seven people had been rescued so far and that 3-4 more were feared trapped under the debris.
"We received a call around 7:30 am about a three-storey building collapse in Gali No 5 in the Welcome area. 7 members of a family who lived here have been rescued. The operation to rescue others is underway. Police, NDRF, civil defence, and locals are working on the spot... 3-4 people are feared trapped... Locals have helped a lot in the rescue operations," Lamba said.
This collapse follows another similar incident just a day earlier in the Pul Mithai area near Bara Hindu Rao in North Delhi, where one person died and several others were injured. That building had commercial establishments on the ground floor and storage units above, and was located in the Azad Market zone.