Two more bodies were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed under-construction building in northwest Delhi's Rohini, raising the death toll to three, police said on Thursday. One labourer was rescued alive during the overnight search and rescue operation.
Rescue Operation Details
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal confirmed that the rescued labourer, identified as Saddam alias Ravi (32), was pulled out alive from the debris and shifted for treatment. The deceased were identified as Ram (42), a local tailor; Kafe alias Nurul (24), a labourer; and Ram Dua (62), the father of the building owner. Ram was declared brought dead at the hospital, while the other two bodies were recovered during the prolonged search.
The four-storey building, located at property numbers G-4/152 and G-4/153 near an MCD school in Sector 16, collapsed around 4:20 pm on Wednesday amid heavy rainfall. Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Revenue Department, and other agencies launched a massive rescue operation using heavy machinery to clear debris.
FIR and Investigation
An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident, though details were not immediately available. The exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation, according to DCP Jaiswal. The rescue operation is nearly complete, with debris removal continuing to ensure no one else is trapped.
The MCD stated that the collapsed structures had received sanctioned building plans under the SARAL Scheme, which permits property owners to obtain automatic clearance and building permits by submitting a self-verified undertaking through certified architects or engineers. Preliminary assessment by the civic body indicates that plumbing work was being carried out inside the building when it collapsed, and drilling or cutting of structural members, including beams and columns, may have contributed to the incident. However, the exact cause will only be established after a detailed technical examination.
