Delhi Building Collapse: Body Recovered, 2 Feared Trapped Under Debris In Harsh Vihar

New Delhi: A body was recovered on Monday morning from the site where a building collapsed in Milan Garden, Harsh Vihar, in northeast Delhi.  

The Delhi Fire Services received a call regarding the incident at 6:46 pm on Sunday and dispatched five fire tenders to the spot. 

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police, fire brigade and Civil Defence are engaged in clearing the debris and carrying out rescue operations. 

Delhi Ministers Kapil Mishra and Ashish Sood visited the site of the building collapse on Sunday night.    

Mishra said fire department personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were engaged in rescue efforts. 

“The fire department and NDRF personnel are actively engaged...It is believed that two individuals may be trapped beneath the debris; efforts are underway to rescue them,” he said. 

He described the incident as unfortunate and said the circumstances surrounding the collapse would be investigated. All relevant agencies had been mobilised, he added. 

“All relevant agencies are fully mobilised. This is, without a doubt, an unfortunate incident, and the circumstances surrounding its occurrence will certainly be investigated,” he said. 

“At first glance, it appears that an attempt was being made to install a new lintel; it collapsed, causing the floor below to cave in as well, trapping two people—reportedly a father and his son,” Mishra added. 

Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba said the building was originally an old, single-storey structure, with an additional floor being constructed on top of it. 

Explaining the challenges faced by the rescue teams, he said, “We received a call that a building had collapsed. The original structure was an old, single-storey building; an additional floor was being constructed on top. The area is completely enclosed, making it difficult to even identify exactly which building collapsed.” 

He said multiple agencies had reached the spot and were working together to carry out the rescue operation. 

“Rescue teams are currently at work—the NDRF has arrived, along with the local police, the fire brigade, and Civil Defence personnel. Everyone, including the residents, is working together. They are clearing a significant amount of debris from the sides,” Lamba said. 

A resident suggested that the collapse may have occurred while a concrete slab was being laid for the additional floor. Describing the sequence of events, the resident said, “A concrete slab was being cast for the building. The existing lower slab was weak, and a new one was being laid on top of it. As a result, the lower slab gave way, causing the entire new slab above it to collapse.”