Five children were crushed to death and another sustained critical injuries after a 15-foot under-construction wall collapsed in Dallupura of east Delhi on Wednesday morning.
The deceased, identified as Amit Haldar (7), Aditya (2), Ankit (4), Bully alias Baby (2), Kanchan (6) and Saraswati (5), were rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital by the locals, where five of the children were declared brought dead and injured Saraswati is undergoing a treatment, the police said.
The incident occurred at around 9.45 am when the six children, aged below 10 years, were playing at a vacant under-construction plot. The wall collapsed on to them and the children were trapped in the debris. Several locals rushed to their rescue and rushed them to the hospital.
A PCR call was made at around 9.50 am and fire officials were informed at around 9.55 am. The police said that the plot belonged to one Chowdhary Vijender who had given the contract to construct a godown for storage of cold drinks to contractor Bhawar Singh. “It was shocking that the 15 feet-tall and 50 feet long wall was built without the support of any pillar in between. Pillars work as spine and give strength, which minimises the chances of its collapse,” said local resident Satish. As the wall was already weak, the condition deteriorated with drizzling on Tuesday, which culminated in the wall collapsed, said an East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) official.
Following the incident, several senior fire officials, police officers, senior officials of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) reached at the spot.
A case under section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 288 ( Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) read with 34 (common intention) against Vijender, Bhawar and his associate Sunil. No arrest has been made so far as the accused persons have been absconding.
Meanwhile, the government on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of five children in the collapse. “We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident,” urban development minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said.
The government has also decided to provide a compensation of `1 lakh each to the family members of the deceased and `50,000 to the family of the injured.
Divisional Commissioner of MCD will also conduct a similar inquiry.