5-storey building collapses in central Delhi, four killed

New Delhi: Four people were killed while eighteen others were injured after a five-storey building collapsed in the densely populated Bapa Nagar area of Karol Bagh on Wednesday morning.

The police were alerted about the incident through a PCR call at the Prasad Nagar Police Station.

The deceased were identified as Aman (12), Mukim (25), Mujib (18), and Mosin (26), all the deceased were the natives of Khatanagar, Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the incident took place at around 9:04 am, and emergency response teams rushed to the scene to initiate rescue operations.

The building, located at Bapa Nagar, Prashad Nagar, collapsed partially, with fears that many people were trapped beneath the rubble.

A total of five fire tenders were dispatched to the site immediately after receiving the distress call at around 9:11 am.

Rescue operations were launched by local police and the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) upon their arrival.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was later brought in to aid the rescue efforts. Additional manpower was required due to the possibility of people being trapped and the scale of the collapse.

Upon assessment, it was found that a five-storey structure (ground floor plus four additional floors) had collapsed, causing significant damage to the adjacent building as well.

Rescue teams worked through the day to locate and extricate those trapped under the debris. As the scale of the collapse became evident, authorities declared the situation a major emergency and intensified the rescue efforts.

By 5:30 pm, the rescue operation had been completed, with a total of 18 people pulled out from the rubble and immediately shifted to nearby hospitals.

Tragically, four of the victims succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Mukim, Mujib, and Mosin had been working in the building, employed in the production of women’s slippers.

Aman, a young boy who had come to visit them, was not a resident of the building and had been staying temporarily with his relatives.

Of the remaining survivors, two are reported to be in critical condition. Eleven others are receiving medical treatment, while one person has already been discharged after recovering from their injuries.

Local authorities have ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to demolish the remains of the collapsed building and clear the area.

The adjacent building, which also suffered damage, will be inspected to determine its structural integrity.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse. Legal action is being taken under sections 106 and 290 of the BNS Act.