Four-storey building tilts in east Delhi, all residents evacuated

SRINAGAR: A four-storey building tilted in east Delhi’s Geeta Colony on Monday evening, prompting a rescue operation in which all occupants were safely evacuated, police said on Tuesday.

The incident was reported from ‘Akhade Wali Gali’ in the locality.

Police said the area around the building has been cordoned off and residents of neighbouring houses have been advised to stay away from the structure.

They said that all occupants of the building, including an elderly woman with a spinal injury, were rescued safely.

Locals and eyewitnesses said an overhang (chhajja) above the second-floor balcony collapsed earlier due to the rains, after which residents noticed that the building had started leaning.

“The building is tilting. It is leaning from the back side and from this (right) side as well. The entire building is tilted,” Ravi, a local, told PTI.

He added that an elderly woman and her son lived on the second floor of the building.

“The woman suffered a spinal injury and was unable to get up on her own. We weren’t sure whether her son was inside the house. We tried looking upstairs but couldn’t see anyone,” he said on late Monday evening.

Locals said that they had earlier complained to authorities about the condition of the building.

“We had submitted complaints earlier. The police had also come, made videos and took photographs, but no action was taken,” Ravi said, adding that the building was around 30 to 35 years old.

Visuals from the spot showed the four-storey corner building with shuttered shops on the ground floor and three residential floors above.

The structure appeared to lean towards one side, while police personnel kept onlookers away from the building.

The building stands at the junction of two narrow lanes lined with closely packed residential structures.