50 year-old building collapses in New Delhi, 10 killed

Ten people, including five children and three women, were killed and two others injured when a 50-year-old four-storey building collapsed in a congested area at Inderlok in north Delhi on Saturday, police said.

“Rescue operations are still on and debris is being removed,” said deputy commissioner of police (north) Madhur Verma.

An assistant junior engineer and a junior engineer of New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) Karol Bagh zone have been suspended. NDMC public relations officer  Yogendra Singh Mann said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

NDMC officials suspect construction work at an adjacent building may be one of the reasons behind the building collapse.

"The Commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the incident under Additional Commissioner (Engineering) of the corporation and errant civic officials in this connection will not be spared, if found guilty of any irregularity," he said.

NDMC officials suspect construction work at an adjacent building may be one of the reasons behind the building collapse.

"A notice was also sent to the neighbouring plot to stop construction earlier, but by continuing to dig, they have violated the order and hence due action will be taken against that party, if found guilty post the municipal inquiry," Mann said.

According to fire officials, they got a call around 9 AM about a building collapsing at Tulsi Nagar in Inderlok following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot for the rescue operations.

"We got a call about the incident at 8:55 AM. The building was around 50 years old and a number of families lived there," said Verma.