Two people who were feared trapped under the debris of an under-construction building that collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar on Sunday evening were pulled out dead during an overnight rescue operation, police said.
The deceased were identified as Chanderpal and his son Vijay Kumar, both residents of Gali No. Police personnel, fire service teams, Civil Defence volunteers and a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot to assist in the rescue operation. Rescue teams worked through the night to clear the rubble and search for people who were trapped. Preliminary inspection suggested that the ground floor of the building was an old structure, reportedly used as a godown, while a first floor had been constructed above it.
14 in Harsh Vihar, who had taken the contract of construction, according to police. Police said the collapse occurred in Milan Garden on Sewa Dham Road at around 6.46pm on Sunday.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said six fire tenders were initially pressed into service after the department received information about the incident. Two ambulances and a crane were also deployed at the site, police said. Both portions collapsed, police said.
Further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether any violations contributed to it.
