The death toll in the Chawri Bazar building collapse in Old Delhi rose to seven on Sunday after rescuers recovered another body from the debris of a three-storey under-construction house in Gali Sheesh Mahal. Three contractors have been arrested, while rescue teams believe three to four more workers may still be trapped on the ground floor.
The latest victim was identified as 66-year-old Luchchuman Mukhiya, a resident of Jakauli village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. Two workers whose bodies were recovered on Saturday were identified as Pankaj Sharma, from Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar’s Khagaria district, and another worker whose identity had not been established at the time of the report.
Police officials said the bodies were placed in the mortuary of LN Hospital. The rescue operation was continuing for the third consecutive day, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the Municipal Corporation and other agencies removing debris and searching for survivors and victims.
The collapse occurred at about 9:48 am on Thursday, when several workers were carrying out construction work inside the house. The three-storey structure suddenly collapsed, trapping workers beneath the rubble. Police, fire services, the NDRF and municipal teams reached the location after receiving information about the incident.
Two workers were found dead on the first day, while five others were rescued with injuries. Two of the injured workers were admitted to LN Hospital in serious condition, according to the report.
The narrow lanes leading to Gali Sheesh Mahal have slowed the rescue effort. Heavy machinery cannot be moved easily to the site, forcing teams to rely on smaller tools and trolleys to remove the debris. Officials said the restricted access was making the operation more difficult and time-consuming.
The collapse has also led to criminal action against three contractors who were allegedly involved with the construction work. Hauz Qazi police arrested the three men on Friday from Sirohi village in the Dhauj tehsil of Faridabad district. They were identified as Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan, residents of Ajmeri Gate.
Police have registered a case against the three contractors under Section 105 relating to culpable homicide and are investigating the circumstances of the collapse. The authorities have not stated in the supplied report what caused the building to fail or whether construction permissions, structural safety requirements or labour-safety procedures were being followed.
Rescue teams were expected to continue clearing the ground-floor debris and searching for the workers believed to remain trapped. The final number of casualties will depend on the outcome of that operation and the ongoing police investigation.
