The Delhi Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Seemapuri building collapse that killed five people, including two children, earlier this month, while three neighbouring structures have been declared unsafe and their residents evacuated.
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood announced the inquiry on Friday, directing the District Magistrate of North East Delhi to establish the facts, circumstances and root cause of the incident. The probe will also examine alleged violations of laws, building rules and safety norms, and determine whether any concerned department failed in its responsibilities.
The four-storeyed residential building collapsed in Seemapuri on October 7, killing all five occupants. According to officials cited in the preliminary inquiry, the collapse was caused by the use of heavy machinery at adjacent unauthorised buildings. The affected structures were located in an area where residential buildings had been constructed on small plots, raising concerns about reinforcement and construction safety.
Three adjacent buildings suffered major damage following the collapse. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi declared the structures unsafe and evacuated their residents. An official said nearby residential buildings had also been checked for safety lapses, particularly structures built on small plots without proper reinforcement.
Mr. Sood said the inquiry would identify violations and assess whether there were lapses by the departments responsible for enforcing construction and structural safety rules. It will also examine the implementation of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in connection with the incident.
“No guilty person or official will be spared. Our immediate priority is to support the affected families, and our long-term goal is to enforce strict structural safety rules so that such an accident never happens again in Delhi,” the Minister said.
The inquiry places responsibility for establishing the cause of the collapse with the North East Delhi District Magistrate. Its findings are expected to address the role of unauthorised construction, the use of heavy machinery near existing residential buildings, safety inspections and the response of the concerned departments.
The preliminary finding cited by officials will be examined as part of the magisterial proceedings. The inquiry will also seek permanent preventive measures to reduce the risk of similar building failures in the city.
