Delhi building tilts, residents evacuated as officials warn of collapse risk

New Delhi: A four-storey building tilted in Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar area, triggering panic among residents and prompting authorities to evacuate the structure as a precautionary measure.

The area around the building was cordoned off to prevent people from approaching the structure.

A team from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reached the spot and inspected the building following the incident. Officials have initiated further action and are monitoring the situation.

Former Mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, who visited the site after receiving information about the incident, said he noticed cracks between two houses and found that one of the buildings had tilted slightly.

“After receiving the information, I reached the spot. I saw that there was a crack between two houses. One of the houses had also tilted slightly. Teams from the Municipal Corporation, police and the fire department also reached the spot,” Aggarwal said.

According to Aggarwal, officials inspected the structure and found a risk of the building collapsing. The building was subsequently evacuated to prevent any possible loss of life.

He said the building was evacuated in time and that a notice had also been issued to its owner, warning that the structure could collapse at any time and potentially cause a major accident.

Aggarwal also called for action against illegal constructions and dilapidated buildings in Delhi, particularly structures that could pose a threat to residents.

Questioning how multi-storey buildings could be constructed without the authorities noticing, he said, “The question is, a five- or six-storey house is not built in a day. But when these buildings were being constructed, where were the Municipal Corporation officials?” he asked.

Aggarwal alleged that five- and six-storey buildings had come up due to the alleged connivance of officials and said action must be taken against such structures.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of old and potentially dangerous buildings in densely populated parts of Delhi.

The development comes days after a building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area on September 6, killing at least seven people. The building was being used as a paying guest (PG) accommodation for boys.

Authorities have cordoned off the affected area in Gandhi Nagar and are monitoring the situation as further assessment and action regarding the tilted building are underway.