Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday inspected the site of the building collapse in Satya Niketan and reviewed the ongoing rescue operation, saying strict action will be taken against those found responsible for negligence.
Gupta said around 80 per cent of the debris had been cleared, with work remaining in the basement where water had accumulated. 12 people have so far been rescued, of whom six have died and six are stable, according to the chief minister.
She said the old structure was undergoing repair work and the combination of the repair activity and water accumulation in the basement had contributed to the collapse. She said the families were being kept informed and the injured were receiving medical treatment. Residents of the collapsed building and adjoining unsafe structures have been evacuated, Gupta said.
The chief minister also announced a structural audit of similar buildings across Delhi, with strict action to follow if safety violations are found. She said 11 people had been rescued so far and assured that those responsible for the collapse would face action. Some kind of excavation was being carried out in the basement, due to which a pillar shifted and the entire building collapsed,” Gupta said.
She said the government was also drafting a policy under which owners of old buildings would have to submit structural audit reports and certify the safety of their premises before operating PGs, nursing homes, schools or other commercial establishments. Officials found responsible for lapses or negligence will face immediate action, Gupta said. Delhi’s industries minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the chief minister had held a meeting with the Mayor and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner and directed that a policy be formulated requiring PGs, hostels and public utility establishments to obtain structural safety certificates. “Without a structural certificate, they will not be permitted to operate,” he said.
Earlier reporting noted: Gupta visited the site as rescue teams searched through the rubble for people who may still be trapped. Earlier reporting noted: “The building was old, and some construction and renovation work was underway. Earlier reporting noted: ‘Pillar shifted, building collapsed’: Delhi CM vows action after Satya Niketan PG collapse Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said an old paying guest (PG) accommodation in South-West Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed after excavation work in its basement caused a pillar to shift.
