Two labourers died while two others suffered major injuries when the second and third floor of an under-construction old residential building collapsed near Church Mission police post at Lahori Gate in Khari Baoli area on Thursday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Ramkaran (25) and Mange Ram (45). The injured are Ramjilal and Mukesh, said senior Delhi Police officers. Police have registered a case under Sections 304 A of the IPC at the Lahori Gate police station against the building owner, Ratan Singh.
According to the police, the incident took place at around 10:45 am when the second floor of an under-construction building toppled. Following this, teams of disaster management, four fire brigades and local police were rushed to the spot and a rescue operation was launched.
Ramkaran, Mange Ram and others who were working on the third floor fell downstairs straight. All of them were taken to Aruna Asif Ali hospital where Ramkaran was declared brought dead while Mange Ram succumbed to his injuries later. The others are still undergoing treatment.
According to shop owners present at the time of the incident, they said illegal construction has been taking place in the area for a long time. “To earn more money, people tend to build more and more floors on weak structures. While the owner of the building lives in Amritsar, the contractor was supervising the construction for the past 7-8 days,” said Kamal Bansal, a businessman whose house is located right opposite to the building. He further told Millennium Post how just to earn quick bucks, rooms in such old buildings are rented out for as low as Rs 50.
“Built in 1937, construction was going on in the second and third floors. While the contractor and his brother were having tea, the labourers working upstairs fell down. I heard a thumping sound and the next thing I remember is that everything became blurred due to the dust. Since they (labourers) had been trapped in the debris, no one heard any voices seeking help,” said Rasna Shorewala.
On the other hand, a septuagenarian, living on the first floor of the same building on rent escaped unhurt. Talking to Millennium Post, she said: “I have been living in that building for 40 years now After the death of my husband, my daughter too started living with me. Minutes before the collapse, I scolded them not to go to the terrace.”