Delhi building collapse death toll rises to seven

The death toll from a three-storey building collapse in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazaar area has risen to seven. Rescuers recovered the latest body, identified as 66-year-old Luchhuman Mukhiya from Bihar, on Sunday.

The under-construction structure in the Gali Sheesh Mahal area collapsed on Thursday morning while workers were laying a third-floor roof slab. Most of the deceased, including Sanjeet Kumar, Kishori Sah, Pankaj Sharma, Shantu, and Dinesh Sah, hailed from Bihar, while one victim, Vipin Ram, was a resident of Delhi.

Police have arrested the building owner, Saimullah (alias Ayub), and three contractors, Siraj, Tajuddin, and Furkan, in connection with the incident. The arrests were made following an FIR registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligent construction. Authorities stated the construction was unauthorized and the building had been declared unsafe.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended an assistant engineer and a junior engineer pending an inquiry. The rescue operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Delhi Fire Service, faced challenges due to the narrow lanes of the congested market area.