4-storey building collapses at Sadar Bazar

Officials said the building was the oldest in the area. Express

Two people received injuries after a four-storey building collapsed in north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar area Friday evening. According to police, preliminary investigation revealed that a few minutes before the collapse, the occupants had rushed outside after a portion of the building caved in due to the rain. Police, along with officials from the fire department, are clearing the debris. Police said they received a call around 5.20 pm that a building had collapsed in Pan Mandi area of Sadar Bazar, near New Delhi railway station. “Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The entire area is congested due to narrow lanes, which restricted movement of fire engines. It will take time for a JCB machine to get to the spot and clear the debris,” a fire official said.

However, local police rushed to the spot and informed the fire department that there were no causalities. Officials said the building was the oldest in the area. There are shops on the ground floor while the other floors housed godowns and flats. “During the rain, a portion of the building collapsed and people rushed out. As a result, there were no casualties,” an officer said.

Officials from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and National Disaster Response Force were also roped in to help clear the area, officials said.
Fearing that buildings nearby may collapse as well, police evacuated the residents. “Locals assisted the teams in removing the rubble,” a police officer said.