New Delhi: Four people died and 14 others sustained injuries when a five-storey building housing a slipper factory and residential accommodation for workers collapsed on Wednesday morning in a congested area in Bapa Nagar in central Delhi, police said.
Rescuers faced a tough time as they reached the site after navigating through the very narrow lanes and 18 people were pulled out of the rubble during an eight-hour operation. Police said heavy machines like cranes could not reach the site.
The Chief of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Atul Garg, said even stretchers couldn't be taken to the site. While sharing a video on X, Garg stated that DFS personnel carried the victims on their backs.
A building collapse in Prashad Nagar, lane are so narrow that even stretcher can't be taken to site. So DFS is taking the victims on their back. Team DFS is putting their best efforts to rescue the all.
— Atul Garg (@AtulGargDFS) September 18, 2024
Video courtesy Times Now pic.twitter.com/LKDJgoMcd3
A case under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 290 (Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings, etc) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered and further investigation is underway, the police said.
The main cause of the incident is suspected to be the leakage in the building but it has to be further investigated, an officer said.
The MCD, however, said the building had not been found to be under dangerous condition during the pre-monsoon survey.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M. Harsha Vashan said that they received information at around 9 am about the incident. "It was found that a five-storey building (ground+four floors) had collapsed and people were trapped in the rubble. An adjacent building also suffered the damage," the officer said.
The officer said the rescue operations were initiated by local police and DFS, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also called in.
Vardhan said the building was old. He said that they could not take heavy machines or cranes inside due to which the operation got delayed but the teams of the fire department, local police and NDRF conducted the rescue work till 5.30 pm.
A total of 18 people were taken to RML hospital. "Four of them were declared dead, while 14 were admitted to the hospital where two of them were still critical," Vardhan said.
The deceased were identified as - Aman (12), Mukim (25), Mujib (18) and Mosin (26) who were the native of Khatanagar village of Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh.
Mukim, Mujib and Mosin were working in the slipper manufacturing unit, while Aman had come to visit them and was not a resident of the building, Vardhan said.
According to a police officer, during investigation, it was found that the occupants of the building had complained of seepage on several floors with the factory owner but he did not pay any heed.
The officer said on each floor of the building, workers stay and work. It was rented to the owner of the factory. "The owner of the factory and also the building owners have been identified and efforts are on nab them," he added.
The DCP said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been asked to clear the affected area, as the rescue operation has been concluded.
Delhi's Chief Minister-designate Atishi, while announcing Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased, directed the officials to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and ensure strict punishment to the people responsible for the incident.
She visited the injured people at the RML hospital.
The AAP leader said she has spoken to the Delhi Mayor regarding the incident.
"Delhi sees more rains this year. I request people to inform administration as soon they there is any apprehension of such incident," she added.
According to a statement from the MCD, the building falls in the special area category and was built in an approximately 25/30 square-metre plot. The reason of collapse could not be ascertained.
"The building had not been found to be under dangerous condition during the pre monsoon survey done by the Maintenance Department," the MCD said.
Neither any new construction was being taken up nor any building material was found on the premises, it added.