Delhi: 3 dead, one rescued as building collapses in Rohini; FIR registered

The death toll in the building collapse in northwest Delhi’s Rohini climbed to three, with two more bodies pulled out from the rubble during the rescue operation that went on through the night, police said on Thursday.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident, in which one labourer was injured, police said. Earlier, officials had put the number of injured at five.

The details of the FIR were not known immediately.

The rescue operation was launched on Wednesday evening after the four-storey building that was under construction collapsed amid heavy rain.

In an official statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said, “During the operation, one labourer, identified as Saddam alias Ravi (32), was pulled out alive from the debris and shifted for treatment.”

He said three bodies were recovered during the rescue operation. The deceased were identified as Ram (42), a local tailor; Kafe alias Nurul (24), a labourer; and Ram Dua (62), the father of the building owner.

Ram was taken to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The other two bodies were pulled out from the debris during the prolonged search operation, the DCP said.

The rescue operation is almost complete. Debris removal is underway to ensure that no one else is trapped, the statement said.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident and the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation, Jaiswal said.

The building collapsed around 4.20 pm on Wednesday at property no. G-4/152 and G-4/153 near an MCD school in Sector 16.

Police, DFS, National Disaster Response Force, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Revenue Department and other agencies launched a massive rescue operation, deploying heavy machinery to clear the debris.

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The MCD said on Wednesday that the collapsed structures had received sanctioned building plans under the SARAL Scheme, which allows property owners to get automatic clearance and building permits by submitting a self-verified undertaking through certified architects or engineers.

According to the civic body’s preliminary assessment, plumbing work was being carried out inside the building when it collapsed and drilling or cutting of structural members, including beams and columns, may have contributed to the incident.

The exact cause, however, will be established only after a detailed technical examination, the MCD said.