CP buckles under ‘excess load’: Roof of vacant shop collapses in Delhi’s Connaught Place

The vacant shop earlier housed a beauty parlour but it was vacated last year in September, police said.

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The collapsed section of a building in C-Block area of Connaught Place in New Delhi on Thursday. The incident took place on Wednesday night. PTI Photo

A large portion of Connaught Place’s Block C caved in around 2 am on Thursday — the first time such an incident has taken place at the commercial centre in recent memory. No casualty or injury was reported.

The ceiling and walls of a vacant first floor shop — above the renowned Jain Book Depot and some neighbouring stores — caved in when there were hardly any people around. But the gaping red wound on the white facade led to shock and awe as people started trickling in later.

“Gir gaya (It has collapsed)” is what many shoppers and shopkeepers simply said as soon as they looked towards the sky, standing near a chain of book stores, some as old as 80 years.

The cavity in the facade revealed water tanks and generator sets resting on the ceiling, while entire pillars lay on the road, crumbled. Many stopped to take photos, as NDMC and police officers took stock.

NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar said, “We called a team from IIT. According to them, the collapse happened due to two reasons — old building structure and excess load of the roof. A five-member committee has been formed comprising NDMC officials, an expert from the IIT Delhi department of civil engineering and a CPWD official. We have asked building owners to provide a structural stability certificate.”

The incident, many said, should prompt some soul-searching on part of the authorities. “Achcha hua. Log jaane CP ke building ki halat kya hai (People should know the state of CP’s buildings),” said Raj Kumar, a vendor who usually sets up a stall to sell mobile covers on the pavement there.

Nabhi Kumar Jain, owner of Jain Book Depot said, “This might be the first time an entire shop has caved in in CP. The buildings, built by the British in the last century, can survive another 100 years. And this was one of the earliest to be renovated during the Commonwealth Games. Perhaps faulty maintenance and overloading the rooftop led to this.” Fire tenders rushed to the spot after a call went out. “By morning, the NDMC’s fire department took over,” Delhi fire chief G C Mishra said.

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Two cranes to lift portions of collapsed walls, trucks to transport debris, an ambulance, and police and NDMC vehicles hovered around Block C through the day.

DCP (New Delhi district) B K Singh said, “We have registered an FIR under IPC Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc). We are trying to find the owner of the building.”

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