A Delhi building collapse in Harsh Vihar killed one worker after the slab of an under-construction house gave way in the Milann Garden area of east Delhi on Sunday evening, with fire services and National Disaster Response Force teams continuing a search for anyone else trapped under the debris, according to a report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The incident took place at a 200-square-yard property where a house was allegedly being constructed without authorisation. The ground floor had already been built, while work was under way on the first floor when its concrete roof slab collapsed shortly after the slab-laying work ended.
The report said the work continued until around 5 pm. Local residents told the newspaper that the slab fell after the workers had left the site. However, officials were still assessing whether other employees remained beneath the debris when the rescue operation began.
The Delhi Police received information about the collapse at around 6.46 pm, according to Rahul Alwal, the district deputy commissioner of police. Fire service teams and the NDRF were sent to the site to remove the debris and search for trapped workers.
One employee’s body was recovered from beneath the rubble, the report said. At the time of publication, the rescue operation was still under way and the authorities had not confirmed that all workers had been accounted for. The final number of people affected was therefore not immediately clear.
The collapse has also brought attention to the safety risks associated with construction in unauthorised buildings, particularly where structural work is being carried out in dense residential neighbourhoods. The report identified the property as an allegedly illegal construction site, but did not provide details of any municipal action, building permit, structural approval or safety inspection before the incident.
Police at Harsh Vihar station were questioning Kulwinder Tanwar in connection with the incident, according to the report. The supplied account does not state whether arrests had been made or whether a formal case had been registered.
The immediate priority remained the removal of the remaining debris and confirmation of whether any other workers were trapped. Further details about the construction site, responsibility for the collapse and any regulatory action were expected after the rescue operation and police inquiry progressed.
