Eight people, including two children, died when a boundary wall collapsed on jhuggies in Delhi’s Jaitpur after heavy overnight rain. Several others were injured. Authorities have evacuated nearby huts to prevent another tragedy as rain continues.
Eight poeple, including two children, lost their lives on Saturday morning when a boundary wall collapsed in Jaitpur’s Hari Nagar area of South East Delhi. The incident happened after heavy overnight rain weakened the wall, causing it to fall on nearby jhuggies. According to Delhi Police, eight people were trapped under the debris. They were rescued and taken to hospital, but seven of them could not survive. The victims were living in makeshift huts near the wall, which belonged to a vacant plot.
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Police and rescue operation
Additional DCP (South East) Aishwarya Sharma said there is an old temple near the spot, and beside it are old jhuggies where scrap dealers live. The boundary wall, about 100 feet long, collapsed due to the rain. Rescue teams pulled out the trapped residents and shifted them to hospital. Some victims were critically injured. Police have now evacuated the remaining jhuggies in the area to avoid any further accidents. Delhi saw heavy rain since early morning, leading to waterlogging and traffic jams in several areas. Vasant Kunj, R.K. Puram, Connaught Place, and Minto Bridge reported severe waterlogging. Traffic was slow near AIIMS and the Barapullah flyover. Waterlogging was also reported on Panchkuian Marg, adding to the chaos for commuters.
Weather forecast for Delhi, Himachal
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast ‘thunderstorm with rain’ for Saturday, with the maximum temperature at 36°C and the minimum at 27°C. Rain with thunderstorms is expected in Delhi till August 12. Meanwhile, IMD has issued an orange alert for three districts in Himachal Pradesh for August 11 and 12, and a yellow alert for the rest. Heavy rain is expected in many parts of the state over the next few days. Since June 20, Himachal has reported 202 deaths linked to the monsoon, 108 due to rain, floods, and landslides, and 94 from road accidents. Rainfall in August so far is 35% above normal, with districts like Solan, Kullu, and Kinnaur recording almost double the average.
(With inputs from agencies)