Chawri Bazar building collapse exposes safety lapses; Delhi CM orders action against officials

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the collapse of a three-storey building under construction in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar, which claimed two lives and left four others injured, and directed officials to register an FIR against the contractor.

The chief minister also ordered the immediate suspension of the junior engineer (JE) and assistant engineer (AE) concerned.

Gupta visited the spot along with senior officials and said no official found negligent in overseeing safety norms would be spared. She also appealed to the public to adhere to safety rules during construction.

"Here, construction was under way for a ground-plus-two-floor building. Further investigation is going on. However, the municipal corporation has suspended its JE and AE and registered an FIR against the contractor who was constructing this building," Gupta told reporters.

"The way people are ignoring safety and security while constructing their homes is dangerous to their own lives. Whatever construction it may be, it must be carried out keeping safety and security in mind, and any official who overlooks such negligence will not be spared either," she said.

She said action would be taken against whoever is named in the FIR.

Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, who accompanied Gupta to the spot, said the government was planning to introduce new construction norms for heritage areas in the Walled City.

Gupta directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and provide immediate ex-gratia assistance to the affected families.

"Stringent action will be taken against those found responsible, in accordance with the law," the chief minister said.

The building collapsed around 9.50 am in Gali Sitara, near the Chawri Bazar Metro station, police said.

Two bodies were pulled out from the debris by a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) rescue team, while four injured people were taken to a hospital by locals before fire department teams arrived, an official said.

The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained, police said, adding that more people were feared trapped under the debris.

An MCD official said construction work at the building had been halted around 15 days ago.

Workers were removing the support system beneath the roof when the structure collapsed, the official said.

"The material used was non-engineered and had not set properly, which eventually led to the collapse," the official said.

Multiple teams, including fire units, are engaged in rescue operations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)