New Delhi: Nearly 12 hours after two under-construction buildings collapsed in Rohini Wednesday, rescuers found the body of 62-year-old Ram Dua, the husband of one of the building owners.Relatives said Dua had called the property home for over two decades. The family moved out of the house around a year and a half ago, and demolished it for reconstruction.A day before the collapse, Dua shared an Instagram reel that read, “I am rich, but not immortal,” followed by, “I will also have to die.” His social media profile, dotted with photographs of his grandchildren and posts reflecting on life and spirituality, has since become a painful reminder for his family.Survived by his wife, two sons and daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren, Dua had moved with his family to a rented house after deciding to rebuild their home. “They lived in the lane behind their old house,” said Dhruv, a relative.The family, which runs a catering business, had long dreamt of reconstructing the building, their first venture into the property business. “Uncle was deeply attached to the site and visited it at least once every day to check the construction. He had hired a builder to execute the project,” Dhruv said.Neighbours also recalled that Dua was a familiar face at the site, often sitting outside on a chair while keeping an eye on the work. It was this image that stayed with many residents when he remained trapped under the debris.Refuting allegations of lapses, a relative said, “As far as we know, the construction materials were of good quality. We cannot say for certain what caused the collapse.”Nurul alias Kafe, a 24-year-old labourer who also died in the incident, had started working at the site two months ago after being recruited by his cousin, the contractor overseeing the project. Nurul had also brought several others from his village to work here. They rushed to the site after learning that Nurul and another labourer, Saddam, had been trapped. Saddam, who survived, said the two were working together moments before the incident.A fellow villager said five-six labourers were living together in Dwarka. “Nurul looked after everyone and made sure they had proper food and accommodation,” he added. Another labourer said they had managed to come out as the building started collapsing and hoped that those working on a different floor were also safe.
