Delhi Building Owner, Kin Among 11 Dead As Toll Rises In 4-Storey Collapse; CM Rekha Gupta Orders Probe
At least 11 people were killed and 11 others injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Shakti Vihar area in the early hours of Saturday, officials said. The 20-year-old structure, located in Mustafabad, came crashing down around 3 am, prompting a massive rescue operation lasting over 12 hours.
According to police, there were 22 people inside the building, most of them members of families. Among the deceased were the building’s owner, Tehseen (60), and six members of his family, including his son Nazeem (30), wife Shahina (28), and their children Anas (6), Afreen (2), and Afan (2), as well as the owner’s younger daughter-in-law Chandni (23), news agency PTI reported.
Others who died in the incident include Danish (23) and Naved (17), who were brothers, Reshma (38), and Ishaq (75). Six people, including the owner’s son Chand (25), were discharged after treatment, while nine others, including Tehseen’s wife, remain under medical care.
According to PTI, police sources suspect that ongoing construction work in two to three shops on the ground floor may have triggered the collapse. Locals also linked the incident to new construction work at a nearby shop and expressed fears over the structural integrity of surrounding buildings.
Salim Ali, a local resident, said, “Wastewater from the sewer has been seeping into the walls of the buildings for years, and over time, the moisture has weakened the structure, causing the walls to develop cracks.”
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, in a statement, confirmed that the building was approximately 20 years old and fully occupied at the time of the collapse.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed grief over the incident and said in a post on X, “Deeply saddened by the tragic building collapse in Mustafabad. Orders have been given to investigate the incident and strict action will be taken against the culprits. My deepest condolences to those who died in the unfortunate accident. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.”
Former Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also conveyed his condolences on X, saying, “I appeal to all the party workers to fully cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations.”
Leader of Opposition Atishi similarly expressed sorrow and urged AAP workers in Mustafabad to support authorities in ongoing operations.
NDRF Terms Delhi Building Incident As ‘Pancake Collapse’, Says ‘Chances Of Survival Are Minimal’
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police, and volunteers responded promptly after the police received a call about the incident at 3.02 am at Dayalpur police station. The victims were pulled out from the debris and rushed to GTB Hospital.
NDRF Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahidi told PTI, “We call this a ‘pancake collapse’ — a particularly dangerous type where chances of survival are minimal. Still, we hope there are lives that can be saved and we are actively searching.” He noted that the use of heavy machinery was restricted due to the congested nature of the area, making rescue efforts particularly challenging.
india