The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has suspended a junior engineer and an assistant engineer after a roof collapsed at an under-construction building in Chawri Bazar, with a preliminary inquiry finding that construction was taking place without an approved building plan.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 am on Thursday at property number 4548 in Gali Sheesh Mahal, Shatara, Chawri Bazar. The building stood on a plot measuring approximately 70 to 80 square yards. The roof of the third floor collapsed while its shuttering was being removed.
According to the MCD, the third-floor roof had been cast around 15 days earlier. When it gave way, other roofs in the building also collapsed. A related reference in the source report stated that two people died in the building collapse.
The civic body said the property owner or builder had not submitted an application for approval of the building plan. The preliminary inquiry also found that construction was continuing despite the absence of an approved plan. Both the junior engineer and assistant engineer have been suspended until the investigation is completed.
The action has placed the focus on how construction reached the third floor in a densely built market area without a building plan approval being recorded. The MCD said it had received no complaint about construction at the property before the collapse. The absence of a prior complaint does not explain how the work was monitored, and the corporation has begun examining the circumstances surrounding the construction and collapse.
The MCD said responsibility would be fixed if the investigation establishes negligence or a failure to discharge official duties at any level. It also said appropriate action would be taken if violations of building construction rules are confirmed.
The collapse occurred in Chawri Bazar, an old and tightly packed commercial area where buildings are closely positioned and construction activity can affect adjoining structures. The report did not establish the technical cause of the roof failure, and the civic investigation is expected to examine the construction sequence, the structural condition of the building and compliance with applicable rules.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the city’s mayor visited the site to assess the situation. The MCD said all aspects of the incident were being investigated and that action would follow the findings. The suspended officials will remain off duty until the inquiry is completed.
