Collapse at under-construction building in South Delhi, 2 workers rescued after 4-hr op

Police said the collapse might have occurred due to heavy rains over the past days, adding that the matter is being investigated.

An MCD official at the spot said, “Construction was stopped a few months ago but work began again. The T-iron roof… along with the stone slab collapsed. We will be taking action against the builder and owner under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.”

Police did not reveal details of the contractor, builder or owner. No case has been registered and no arrest has been made yet.

Initially, police were told four-five men were trapped. “It was found that two persons were trapped. It took 1-2 hours to rescue the first worker from under a slab. By 7-8 pm, we rescued the second worker. The teams worked for hours to search through debris,” said a senior police officer.

Firemen said they had to use drills, ropes and other equipment to remove the debris. “The men were stuck deep inside. While tracing them, we tried to keep them calm…,” said an official.

DFS Chief Atul Garg said more than five fire tenders and 40 firemen worked on the operation. “As per our information, lintel of the upper floors gave way… resulting in a portion collapsing. This could be due to old and weak structures or rain,” said Garg.

Raj Sharma, one of the workers who escaped, said, “We were told to install pillars and work on the beams. It’s an old building. Construction shouldn’t have been allowed.”