The death toll in the collapse of a three-storey building in Old Delhi’s Hauz Qazi area rose to three on Saturday after rescuers recovered the body of another labourer from the debris.
The deceased was identified as Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar’s Khagaria district.
Nearly 48 hours into the rescue operation, five people have been pulled out from the rubble. Three of them died, while two injured survivors were taken to hospital and are reported to be stable.
The under-construction building collapsed at around 9.45 am on Thursday in Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazar Metro station. Rescue teams continued searching for possible survivors and clearing the debris.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh had said that between 10 and 15 labourers were present at the construction site when the three-storey structure collapsed.
Two other labourers, identified as Kishori and Sanjeet, had earlier been declared dead. Sahdev Chaudhary and Firoz were rescued with injuries, while local residents also helped pull four people out of the debris.
The building was allegedly being constructed without the required approval on a 50-square-metre plot. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had confirmed that no building plan had been sanctioned for the structure.
According to the civic body’s assessment, construction had reached the third floor and the collapse occurred while the roof slab was being laid. The material used was non-engineered and had not properly set.
The Delhi Police had flagged unauthorised construction at the property in June. In a communication dated June 15, the Station House Officer of Hauz Qazi police station informed the MCD’s City Sadar Paharganj Zone about the ongoing work and identified Furqan as the landowner and contractor.
Police have registered an FIR against the building owners and contractors under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Efforts are continuing to trace the builders.
Follow us
