A four storey residential building collapsed in Seemapuri, Delhi, on October 7, killing three people, including two children and a pregnant woman, and injuring eight others. Rescue teams, police and locals worked together to pull victims from the rubble as investigations continue.
A four storey residential building collapsed in Seemapuri on Wednesday afternoon leaving three people dead including two children and eight others injured.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received an emergency call at approximately 3:30 pm. Multiple fire engines were dispatched and rescue units to the site. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police had joined the operation.
The deceased have been identified as a 12 year old girl, an unidentified young child, and a 21 year old woman who was four months pregnant.
The incident occured on October 7 at Seemapuri in Northwest Delhi. The front portion of the building gave way suddenly trapping several occupants beneath dense rubble. Prior to the arrival of official emergency services local residents initiated immediate rescue efforts clearing debris with bare hands and pulling several victims from the ruins.
Eight injured individuals were rushed to the nearby Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for medical treatment. The injured have been identified as Momin Mirja (56), Abdaan (3), Abdul Rehman (28), Devruddin (28), Salma (50), Chote (34), Sakina (35), and Samad (30).
Delhi Traffic Police has issued advisories urging commuters to avoid the Seemapuri Gol Chakkar, DLF Bhopura and adjoining stretches. Police also cordoned off the site to disperse onlookers and prevent obstruction of the ongoing operations.
Read more about the collapse here.
Residents in the locality claimed the structure had developed visible cracks following seismic tremors felt across the Delhi-NCR region on Tuesday night, triggered by an earthquake in Uttarakhand. However, officials stated that no cause has been confirmed. A structural evaluation by engineering experts is underway. Municipal authorities are also investigating whether illegal modifications or structural fatigue played a role.
The tragedy comes a month after a hostel building collapse in Satya Niketan resulted in seven fatalities and multiple injuries. That earlier incident prompted strong observations from the High Court, which termed the loss of lives "not an ordinary mishap" and called for stricter enforcement of building safety regulations across the capital.
Further investigation into the Seemapuri collapse remains ongoing.
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