At least five people were feared killed and many others trapped when two old buildings collapsed in Chandani Mahal area of old Delhi on Tuesday. The incident was reported at around 8 pm when house number 833 of Chandani Mahal area near Jama Masjid came crashing down on the ground. Around 20
families were living in the building at the time of the incident. The fire department was called and 13 fire-tenders and many ambulances were pressed into service. However, there was no confirmation on the death toll as the police and the fire department were collecting details till late in the night.
“We received a call about the incident at 8 pm. The fire tenders were rushed to the spot but because of the narrow streets, we faced a lot of trouble in the rescue operation. We have recovered some bodies from the debris and rescued around 20 injured,” said a senior fire department official, adding that the debris are so large that many people are feared trapped.
The fire department called JCB machines to boost the rescue operation. Residents of the area claimed that the building was too old and they often complained about the same to the authorities.
“Recent earthquakes shook this building so hard that some cracks appeared on the walls. We intimated the persons living in the building but no one bothered to take such warnings seriously. All of the residents of the building are renters. Illegal construction is also a major problem in the area but its not clear yet that whether this building was legal or not,” said Manjeet Lal, a resident of the area.
Till last information was received, the fire officials were clearing the debris in search of trapped people.
Meanwhile the MCD said that it will soon launch an inquiry into the collapse of the building. Yogender Chandolia, chairman of the civic body’s Standing Committee, said MCD Commissioner K.S. Mehra has been asked to inquire into the incident.
“I have asked him to submit a report in Wednesday’s Standing Committee meeting. There were several old and dilapidated buildings in the area. We need to take a call on this,” he said.