New Delhi: Ram (42), a mechanic and the sole breadwinner of his family, was killed while riding his motorcycle past an under-construction building in Sector 16 of Rohini that collapsed Wednesday.He stepped out of his home to collect spare parts for his workshop, just a short distance away, when the structure gave way, burying him under the debris.A friend, Ravi, who was riding with him on the motorcycle, survived with injuries to his legs.The motorcycle was badly damaged. Family members said Ram suffered a severe head injury and his hand was dislocated. “When we found him, his shirt was completely soaked in blood,” a relative said.The tragedy has left his family devastated. Ram is survived by wife Renu, mother Kiran, and two sons, Mukul (13), and Mokshit (8), who study in Classes IX and V, respectively. The family had shifted to the locality around two years ago, hoping to raise the children in a better neighbourhood.Outside their home, Ram’s wife and mother wept inconsolably as neighbours and relatives gathered to offer support. His younger brother, Naveen, was at home having lunch when he got the news of the collapse and rushed to the spot.His elder son, Mukul, tried to stay composed. “Main toh bada ladka hoon, ab aage ka sochna hai,” the 13-year-old said.Ram’s brother, Shyam, blamed poor construction practices for the incident and alleged that builders had compromised on safety to maximise profits. “This happened because of poor-quality construction material. Builders are only interested in making money. A similar building collapse had happened in this area earlier too, but no lessons were learnt,” he said.According to the family, construction on the building had been underway for nearly one to one-and-a-half years and it was almost complete. “Around 99% of the work was finished. We never imagined it would collapse like this, especially on people passing on the road,” Shyam said. “My brother was only going to get spare parts for his shop. He was just crossing the road. In a few seconds, our entire family was destroyed.”
