A four-storey building collapsed in the Shakti Vihar area of northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad in the early hours of Saturday, claiming the lives of at least four individuals and leaving several others feared trapped under the debris. The incident has triggered large-scale rescue and relief operations in the densely populated locality.
The building, located in a congested neighborhood, crumbled around 2:30 am. Emergency services, including the Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Delhi Police, arrived on the scene promptly after receiving a distress call at approximately 3:02 am. Rescue teams have so far pulled out 14 individuals, four of whom were declared dead on arrival at GTB Hospital. Others are being treated for injuries.
Officials stated that approximately 22 people were believed to be inside the building at the time of the collapse. Around 8 to 10 people are still suspected to be trapped beneath the rubble. The rescue teams are working around the clock to locate and save any remaining survivors.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and devastation. A local resident, Shehzad Ahmed, who lived nearby, said he lost two nephews in the tragedy while other family members sustained injuries. “I was woken up by a loud noise. When I ran outside, the building was already in ruins,” he said, visibly shaken.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the structure may have weakened over time due to poor construction practices and recent weather events, including dust storms and heavy rainfall that lashed parts of the capital on Friday. Authorities are also probing whether any illegal modifications or structural violations were made to the building.
The narrow lanes of Mustafabad have added complexity to the ongoing rescue operation, with heavy machinery facing difficulty accessing the site. However, rescue teams have adapted to the conditions by using smaller tools and manpower to sift through the rubble.
As of now, there has been no official statement from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the incident. However, civic officials and disaster management authorities are on-site overseeing the situation.
The Delhi government has promised a thorough investigation into the collapse, and strict action has been assured if any negligence is found. Meanwhile, locals are demanding stricter enforcement of building safety norms and regulations to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
The tragedy comes just days after another incident in Madhu Vihar, Delhi, where a wall collapsed due to a dust storm, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The back-to-back occurrences have raised serious concerns about construction safety and infrastructure resilience in the capital.
