Nine-year-old among three killed as storm batters Delhi

New Delhi: A massive dust storm and heavy rains wreaked havoc across Delhi on Wednesday evening, leaving three people dead and at least 11 others injured. Among the deceased was a nine-year-old girl, Sahana alias Chandni, who died after being struck by a falling iron window shutter in Nehru Vihar.

According to police, the incident occurred around 8:00 pm when a strong gust of wind dislodged an iron window panel from the third floor of a building. Sahana, daughter of Amin Ansari, was standing in a lane near her residence when the shutter fell on her, critically injuring her. She was rushed to the Civil Lines Trauma Centre but succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

The Dayalpur police, who received a PCR call about the incident, launched an investigation and registered a case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the house owner, Zahid, son of Abdul Rahim. A crime team inspected the site and documented the scene, while officials probe whether negligence in building maintenance led to the fatal incident.

Two other deaths were reported from different parts of the city. In north east Delhi’s Gokulpuri, a 22-year-old man named Azhar died after a tree collapsed on him and two motorcycles. In southeast Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, a high-mast electric pole toppled near the Lodhi Road flyover and fell on a differently-abled man on a tricycle. He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Police are working to identify him.

The storm, which struck after a sweltering afternoon, caused widespread damage and disruption. A portion of an old foot overbridge near Mukherjee Nagar collapsed, injuring at least six people. Additional injuries were reported from Kashmere Gate and Mangolpuri. Authorities continue to assess damage across the city as the investigation into the fatalities and infrastructure failures progresses.