Three contractors arrested from Faridabad in Chawri Bazar building collapse

Delhi Police have arrested three contractors from Faridabad district of Haryana in connection with the collapse of an under-construction building in Delhi's Chawri Bazar area. According to a report by Amar Ujala, the three accused were apprehended by the police from Sirohi village in the Dauj and Tehsil area of Faridabad district. The arrested individuals have been identified as Tajuddin (son of Semuddin, resident of 4409 Gali Sitara Ajmeri Gate, Delhi), Furkan (son of Abdul Hafiz, resident of 2994 Gali Nal Wali Shahganj Chowk Ajmeri Gate, Delhi), and Siraj (son of Lieutenant Abdul Sakur, resident of H. No. 4282 Gali Sitara Ajmeri Gate, Delhi).

The entire incident occurred on Thursday morning at approximately 9:50 am in Gali Shishmahal of Chawri Bazar, located in the Delhi-6 area of Old Delhi. A three-storey under-construction building suddenly collapsed here. Two people died in this horrific accident, while five others were injured. The deceased have been identified as Kishori (40 years) and Sanjeet (45 years), residents of the Railway Colony in Mandawali. Officials stated that there were suspicions that other people were still trapped under the debris, due to which the search operation was continued.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, information was received regarding a building collapse at Shishmahal in Gali Shahtara, located exactly opposite the Chawri Bazar Metro Station. A Fire Service official stated that their team recovered two bodies from the debris. Before the fire brigade team reached the spot, local residents had independently rescued five injured persons from the rubble and rushed them to the hospital. Under the supervision of senior officials, rescue operations were carried out by several fire tenders, and the campaign to search for others trapped in the debris was kept underway.

Following the incident, Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and monitored the situation. She has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. The Chief Minister stated in strong words that no official who ignored safety standards would be spared. She directed officials to immediately register a First Information Report (FIR) against the contractors.

On the other hand, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), taking action for this serious negligence, suspended two officials on Thursday. The suspended officials include the concerned Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE). Along with this, the MCD has appealed to the general public to strictly follow safety rules during any construction.

Regarding the reasons for the collapse, a senior MCD official revealed that the total area of the plot where the three-storey building collapsed (in which work on the fourth floor was underway) was 50 square metres. Most importantly, no building plan had been approved for this construction. Furthermore, the Municipal Corporation had received no complaints regarding this illegal construction. The official further stated that the construction work was ongoing but had been stopped about 15 days ago.

Investigations have revealed that at the time of the accident, labourers were removing the supports (props) installed under the ceiling, which caused the building to collapse. According to officials, the materials used in the construction were not as per engineering standards and the cement-concrete mixture had not cured properly, causing the structure to become weak.