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Journalism of Courage
Manju Thapa (35), who works as a security guard in Burari’s Kaushik Nagar, was planning to go to the local hospital. Her son had not been keeping well and after his fever didn’t break for two days, she and her sister-in-law, Sita (54), decided it was time to consult a doctor. On Monday evening, as the two women walked a few hundred metres from the building Manju works in, they heard a loud crack.
“There was a loud noise and we heard shouting,” recalled Manju. The women watched in shock as a newly constructed four-storey building right opposite Manju’s workplace crumbled and collapsed. “All of a sudden it became dark… it was like night had fallen in a few seconds,” said Sita as she recalled the cloud of dust that loomed over the area in the aftermath of the collapse near Oscar Public School.
By Tuesday, the death toll had risen to five — two of the dead were sisters. Police said 12 people had been rescued but feared more could be trapped under the debris. Rescue operations continued well into Tuesday with no estimates from either police or the Delhi Fire Services on when they will conclude.
Police said the victims have been identified as Sadhna (18), Radhika (7), Anil Gupta (42), Mohammad Sarfaraz (22) and Mohammad Qadir (40).
The sisters’ parents, Savita Srivas and Lalta Prasad, were working in the building before it collapsed. While Savita worked as a construction worker, her husband Lalta was a watchman.
According to their family members, who were present at Burari Hospital, the couple had eight children. Sadhna was their eldest daughter, Radhika was their fifth eldest child.
The surviving children were receiving treatment in Burari Hospital while Savita and Lalta had been referred to Sushrut Trauma Centre in Kashmere Gate for treatment.
“We found out about the accident in the morning through the news,” said Ram Seva (42), a relative of the couple. “They flashed Savita’s photo on one channel and that’s when we realised someone we know was in the accident,” he said. Savita’s mother, Kali (60), was worried sick about her grandchildren. “God took away my daughter’s precious children… I don’t know what she must be going through… they won’t let us see her,” she said, wiping her tears on her sari’s pallu.
On Tuesday, police registered an FIR against the builder, Yogender Bhati, and other unknown individuals under BNS sections 105 (culpable homicide), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 3(5) (common intent). Police confirmed that Bhatia has been arrested.
Videos circulating from the collapse site showed policemen and officials from the DFS and National Disaster Response Force attempting to rescue people from under the debris. One video, in particular, showed a man on his stomach in a narrow space amongst the debris, pulling out survivors manually.
On Tuesday, DCP (North) Raja Banthia highlighted the heroic and courageous efforts of police personnel of Burari police station “who, at great personal risk, quickly responded by entering the debris and rescuing six people trapped inside”. “The names of the officers are — ASI Sudhir Sangwan, who is seen in the video, HC Sandeep, HC Pardeep, HC Rahish, and HC Sunil Kumar.”
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