Structure on KG Marg collapses during demolition work,eight labourers injured

“Out of the eight who were brought here,one patient (Maharaj) has chest injuries,including rib fractures. There is also a suspicion of head injury,so we are conducting investigations. He is currently in the recovery room,and is likely to be shifted to the Intensive Care Unit. All the others were administered first aid,” said Dr T S Sidhu,Medical Superintendent at the RML hospital.

The police have registered a case of negligence against the supervisor and contractor,who were given the task of pulling down the structure.

Till four months ago,the Curzon Road Barracks had been housing several government offices. It was being demolished by a private contractor engaged by the Ministry of Finance,which has now been allotted the building for constructing its offices. “There were no functional offices in this portion,they were vacated four months ago. The portion of the building collapsed as it was being demolished on Wednesday,” said S K Shrivastava,project manager of the Public Works Department.

The PWD still has an office in another part of the same building,together with the Office of the Official Liquidator of the Delhi High Court,and the Scholarships department of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

“We have registered a case under various Sections against the supervisor and the contractor,who were given the task of pulling down the structure. The Ministry of Finance had given out a contract for demolishing the structure. We are yet to record the statement of the victims,but negligence was definitely there,” said V A Gupta,Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi).