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Police believe sewerage work in the area could be the reason behind the collapse. (Source: Express photo by Cheena Kapoor)
A woman and her children were killed when a two-storey building collapsed west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar in the early hours of Monday. Although preliminary investigation revealed that sewerage work in the area may be the reason behind the incident, police said they are still probing the matter.
DCP (west) Pushpendra Kumar said the deceased have been identified as Manju (26), Daksh (5) and Sanya (2). Another member of the family, identified as Sushil (28), was injured in the incident and has been admitted to a hospital. Two buffaloes also died in the collapse, added police.
According to officials of the Delhi Fire department, the incident occurred at 2.40 am. A portion of the roof of the flat, located on the first floor, first collapsed. Following this, the building collapsed as well.
“The victims were rushed to a hospital, where the woman and children were declared brought dead. Sushil suffered injuries after an iron rod pierced his chest,” said an officer.
Residents in the adjoining flats made a PCR call. An officer said, “Local police, along with fire tenders and ambulances, immediately rushed to the spot to conducted rescue and relief operations. The building was over 15 years old. Apart from families, the building also housed a dairy and 12 buffaloes.”
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Fearing that nearby buildings may get affected, police evacuated people residing in them. Madanlal, a neighbour said, “I was the first to reach the spot. I managed to move aside the debris and locate the victims.” He added that the sewerage problem in the area could have led to the collapse.
Meanwhile, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said an inquiry is being conducted by the building department into the incident. “The building was a temporary structure; it was covered by a tin roof. The ground floor housed cattle while the family lived on the first floor. Development work in the area is looked after by the state’s infrastructure development corporation. The Delhi Jal Board has also been executing work in the colony. The SDMC is only responsible for cleaning of small drains in the area,” said an official.
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