NEW DELHI: At least five people were injured and two to three others were feared trapped after a five-storey building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri area on Wednesday afternoon, with debris also damaging portions of two to three adjoining houses, officials said. A multi-agency rescue operation is underway at the site.
What happened in Seemapuri building collapse ?
The front portion of the five-storey building collapsed around 3.30pm, following which the Delhi Fire Service received a distress call and rushed fire tenders to the spot.Delhi Police, civic officials and civil defence personnel also reached the site and launched a search-and-rescue operation.Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said five people had been injured and two to three others were suspected to be trapped under the debris.“Some people have been rescued and sent to hospitals, but we suspect that two to three people are still trapped under the debris. They are talking… rescue operation is underway,” he said.
Five injured, rescue operation underway
Those rescued from the debris were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Paramedics and emergency personnel were deployed at the site to attend to the injured.Heavy machinery, including JCB excavators, was being used to remove large piles of rubble as rescue teams searched for those still trapped.Officials said rescuers had heard people responding from underneath the debris and were working to reach them.
Locals join rescue, woman pulled from debris
Seemapuri building collapse
Local residents rushed to the site and joined the rescue operation, clearing bricks and rubble with their bare hands.Videos from the spot showed residents pulling a woman out from under the debris and carrying her away in their arms. People were also seen helping shift the injured to hospitals before rescue operations intensified.A local resident said four to five people had been rescued and taken to hospitals.“Police came after half an hour. There is a child still trapped, and some have been rescued by people and sent to hospitals. I have given CPR myself. Two to three people have been sent to hospital,” he said.Officials have not independently confirmed the claim that a child remains trapped.
Did tremors cause building collapse?
Locals claimed the building had developed cracks following tremors felt across Delhi-NCR after an earthquake in Uttarakhand on Tuesday night.Officials, however, have not established any link between the earthquake and the collapse. The exact cause will be determined after a detailed investigation.The collapsed structure also affected portions of two to three adjoining houses, and authorities are assessing the surrounding area for any further risk.
Traffic hit around Seemapuri
The collapse affected traffic movement around Seemapuri Gol Chakkar, DLF Bhopura and adjoining roads.Delhi Traffic Police advised commuters to avoid the area and urged people not to stop, park or gather near the site so that ambulances, fire tenders, JCB machines and other emergency vehicles could move freely.
Seemapuri collapse follows Satya Niketan tragedy
Satya Niketan building collapse
The incident comes a month after a building in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on September 6, leaving seven people dead and 12 injured.The latest collapse has again raised concerns over building safety and structural vulnerabilities in the capital. Authorities are expected to assess the condition of the surrounding structures once rescue operations are completed.(With agency inputs)
