Delhi: An eight-year-old boy was killed while a 45-year-old man sustained injuries after a portion of a house collapsed in outer Delhi’s Nangloi on Monday morning, police said.
The incident occurred when a toilet constructed on the terrace of the one-storeyed house collapsed onto the verandah below, causing the ceiling to cave in, they said.
The deceased, Vansh, was the son of a daily wager from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, who lived in the house as a tenant. The other occupants of the house were safe, police said.
According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS), four fire tenders were pressed into service after a call was received regarding the incident at 7.12 am from Rajendra Park Extension in Nangloi.
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During the rescue operation, the firemen found two persons trapped under the debris.
While Sabir (45) sustained minor injuries and was administered first-aid on the spot, the boy, Vansh, was rushed to the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead, a DFS official said.
“The building was old. Due to the water tank on the terrace, the iron rods were rusted, leading to the collapse,” ADCP (Outer) Manoj Kumar Meena said.
“We are checking the nearby buildings to see if they are in a similar condition. Police have registered an FIR and strict action will be taken if any negligence is found,” the officer said.
Vansh’s grandmother Krishna Devi told mediapersons that her grandson was sitting on the staircase when the structure above collapsed.
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“Vansh was looking at a mobile phone when the unfortunate incident happened. His father pulled him out after which the landlord called the police who took the child. They didn’t even let anyone see the child,” she said.
While Krishna Devi has been living in the house for the past two years, her son and his family came to Delhi for the first time two months back.
“The house was in a very bad condition. The collapse happened due to the landlord’s negligence,” she alleged.
