2 killed, 7 injured after house collapses in northeast Delhi

New Delhi: Two youths were killed and seven injured after a house collapsed in northeast Delhi's Johripur Extension on Friday, police said.

A police team along with officials of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Delhi Fire Services carried out the rescue operation, they said.

Police said labourers were engaged in renovating the house when suddenly the roof of the first floor collapsed, police said.

According to fire department officials, two bodies were pulled out of the debris around 9.15 pm. Seven people, including a woman, were rescued and shifted to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, they said.

The deceased have been identified as Harshit (17) and Mukesh (20), both residents of Loni in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, officials said.

The injured have been identified as Suraj (21), Anand (60), Varsha (38), Chander Pal (46), Seema (35), Manoj Sharma (43) and Sanjay, the police said.

A senior police official said that legal action in the matter was being initiated.

Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg said the call about the incident was received at around 12:02 pm after which four fire tenders were rushed to the site. Rescue operations are underway, he said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said the building was 20 years old.

The civic body said, "Roof of the first floor collapsed due to storage of heavy junk material." It said men and machinery have been deployed to remove debris from the site.

Urmila, who stays in the neighbourhood, said, "There was a small unit making calendars, maps, and educational posters. I heard a loud noise around 11 am. A person came out of the debris who was seriously injured."

A victim said that they were busy with their work when the "ceiling suddenly fell on us and I lost consciousness. Later, when I woke up, I found myself in the hospital".