Two people were killed after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazaar area on Thursday morning, police said. The incident took place in Gali Sattara, Sheesh Mahal, near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station in Chandni Chowk, triggering an emergency rescue operation.

To advertise here,

The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the collapse at around 9.50 am. Multiple emergency teams were rushed to the spot, with six fire service units eventually deployed. The operation was stepped up after officials received information that people could be trapped beneath the debris.

According to the fire department, the initial response included two water tenders, a water bowser, a Quick Response Vehicle and an Incident Response Team. Additional personnel and a senior officer were subsequently sent to the location.

The collapse also triggered a political reaction, with Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioning the effectiveness of building safety audits in Delhi.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj targeted the Rekha Gupta-led government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), asking why buildings continued to collapse despite repeated safety inspections.

He alleged that corruption across government departments had undermined enforcement and claimed that action against buildings was selective. He also questioned why some commercial properties faced sealing while others continued to operate.

The allegations have not been independently established.

The incident has once again brought attention to the safety of ageing and under-construction buildings in the crowded markets of Old Delhi.

With agency inputs