New Delhi: The death toll in the collapse of a three-storey building in Old Delhi’s Hauz Qazi area rose to three on Saturday after rescuers recovered another labourer’s body from the debris during ongoing search operations.
The deceased was identified as Pankaj Sharma (40), a resident of Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar’s Khagaria district, officials said.
After nearly 48 hours of rescue operations, 5 people have been pulled out of the debris — three dead and two injured. Both injured workers have received medical treatment and are stable.
The building, which was under construction, collapsed in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar Metro station around 9.45 am on November 5. Search operations and efforts to clear the rubble continued at the site.
Around 10 to 15 labourers were present at the construction site when the three-storey structure collapsed, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said.
Earlier, two labourers, identified as Kishori (40) and Sanjeet (45), were declared dead, while Sahdev Chaudhary (25) and Firoz (37) were rescued with injuries. Residents had also rescued 4 people from the debris.
Police flag unauthorised construction; builders on the run
The building was allegedly being constructed without the required approval on a 50-square-metre plot. An MCD official had said that no building plan had been sanctioned for the structure.
The civic body said construction had reached the third floor and the building collapsed while the roof slab was being laid. The official said the material used was non-engineered and had not set properly.
In June, the Delhi Police had flagged unauthorised construction at the property. In a communication dated June 15, the Station House Officer of Hauz Qazi police station had informed the MCD’s City Sadar Paharganj Zone about the construction work and identified the landowner and contractor as Furqan.
Police have registered an FIR under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, against the building owners and contractors. Efforts are underway to trace the builders.
