A four-storey building developed a “tilt” and also damaged adjacent building following which it was evacuated and sealed. The incident was reported from Shakarpur in east Delhi on Monday. The building has been “put under seven-day observation” as initial inspection did not reveal imminent danger of collapsing. However, the incident has once again raised the hackles of the residents living in areas near to the Lalita Park building collapse site.
The police got the call about a building, G-53 in Laxmi Nagar on Vikas Marg, “tilting” dangerously this morning. Immediately, the local police and senior officials of the district, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority squad and the civil defence personnel arrived at the spot and cordoned-off the area. The MCD engineers, after carrying out an initial inspection, ordered evacuation and sealing. They, however, placed glass and paper strips on the existing cracks “which appeared to be old”. The building has been kept under technical observation for seven days following which further action would be taken.
The building is a four-storey structure without a basement and said to be nearly 30 years old. It had four shops, one each on all the floors. Residents claimed that the plot on which the building had been constructed was very narrow. It is barely seven-feet wide and nearly 60-feet long, claimed a resident, adding that its base was not wide enough to support a four-storey structure.
Residents of the adjacent building, G-52, are now wondering how to ensure their safety. Talking to this newspaper, the owner of the house, Balwant Singh Parwana, who runs a local newspaper, said that cracks have developed in his house due to the “tilting”. “We have already vacated one of the rooms where the cracks are at least seven-inch wide. I had noticed them earlier but they were small. But this morning, they became very wide following which I called up the police,” said Mr Parwana, adding that he has asked everybody to move into the rear side of the house and vacate the room that has developed cracks.
The police said that they were awaiting the final report from the MCD following which any legal action would be taken against the owner of the building.
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Charred building is demolished
AGE CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi
Nov 29: Even 24 hours after a fire broke out in a four-storey building in Chandni Chowk on Sunday evening, fire fighters continue to clear the debris and look for anybody trapped inside it on Monday. At least three firemen and one Delhi police constable were injured during the fire-fighting operations on Sunday night. The fire-fighters had to ultimately raze the building, which had a plastic godown and a manufacturing unit, as it had become weak due to the fire. According to a fire department spokesperson, the fire was completely doused only in the afternoon on Monday.