Rescue teams are searching for five people feared trapped following an under-construction building collapse in Delhi’s Chawri Bazar. The narrow site has hindered heavy machinery, forcing manual debris removal by NDRF and MCD personnel.
Rescue Operations Underway in Old Delhi
Five people are feared to be trapped in the basement of a collapsed building in Delhi’s Chawri Bazar area, while four people have been rescued so far, SDM Manoj Kumar said on Thursday, adding that 30 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are engaged in the rescue operation. Explaining the suspected cause of the collapse, Kumar said that a four-storey structure had been built on a small plot and that the temporary supports may have been removed before the concrete and debris had dried. “A four-storey structure had been built on a small plot. It appears that the centring (temporary support) was removed while the debris/concrete was still wet, which led to the collapse. The wet debris has now set and is trapped in the basement…It is suspected that 5 people are trapped. Currently, 30 personnel from the NDRF and MCD are engaged in the operation. Four people have been rescued,” he said.
Incident Details and Challenges
Two people were killed and five others injured after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar area at approximately 10:30 AM on Thursday. The incident occurred at Property No. 4548, located in Gali Sheesh Mahal, Gali Shehatara, near Ajmeri Gate. According to a detailed report, the collapse occurred when unauthorised construction on the second and third floors gave way, bringing down the entire structure. Rescue teams and civic authorities rushed to the spot and deployed floodlights to facilitate search and rescue operations. Efforts continued through the night as authorities searched for individuals feared trapped beneath the debris.
Accessibility Issues at the Site
The narrow and densely populated locality posed significant challenges for rescue operations. The building is situated at the end of a dead-end lane barely three feet wide, making the site inaccessible to motorised vehicles, rescue trucks and heavy earthmoving machinery. Consequently, rescuers, medical personnel and more than 30 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) zonal labourers had to reach the site on foot. The debris was primarily removed manually, with teams also using compact equipment to facilitate the operation. (ANI)
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