At least three people died after an under-construction building collapsed in Delhi's Rohini Sector 16, while one person was injured, according to the Delhi Fire Services. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening following heavy rainfall in the national capital.
The Delhi Fire Services received information about the collapse at around 4:20 p.m., following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other emergency agencies also reached the site.
Local residents joined the rescue teams and assisted in the operation. During the rescue, 42-year-old Ram Kishore was pulled out from beneath the debris and rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Another labourer, Ravi, 35, a POP worker, was rescued safely.
The building owner, Ram Dua was suspected to be trapped under the rubble, while a few labourers are also feared to be trapped inside the collapsed structure. Delhi Police have registered a case against the building owner. Residents rushed to the site after hearing a loud crash.
They began removing broken bricks, concrete slabs, and twisted iron rods with their bare hands after hearing cries for help from beneath the debris. Several videos of the rescue operation surfaced on social media, showing local residents and emergency personnel working together.
They were seen removing massive concrete slabs and piles of bricks. One video showed rescuers using hydraulic cutters and other specialised equipment to lift heavy concrete slabs carefully to avoid causing further harm to those trapped underneath.
Heavy machinery, including private JCB machines and two Hydra cranes, was deployed at the request of the Delhi Police to remove debris and accelerate the rescue operation. Heavy rain continued to lash the national capital on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving several parts of the city waterlogged.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red and orange alerts, warning of thunderstorms and more rainfall over the next few hours. Several areas, including Sadar Bazar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar, and Kushak Road, witnessed severe waterlogging, with pedestrians seen wading through knee-deep water in several places.