New Delhi: The death toll in the collapse of a three-storey under-construction building in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazaar area has risen to three. Another worker’s body was recovered from the debris during the rescue operation on Saturday morning. The deceased has been identified as 40-year-old Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar’s Khagaria district. Two other workers injured in the incident are undergoing treatment in hospital and their condition is stated to be stable.
The incident took place on Thursday, 5 November, at around 9:45 am near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station in the Gali Sitara and Gali Sheesh Mahal area. Around 10 to 15 workers were working at the site when the under-construction building collapsed. After the incident, Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and municipal corporation teams jointly launched a rescue operation.
In the operation, which continued for more than 48 hours, five people have so far been pulled out of the debris. Of them, three have died, while two injured workers are stated to be stable after treatment. Because of the narrow lanes, there was difficulty in taking heavy machinery to the spot, and rescue personnel had to carry out much of the work manually.
Police have arrested three contractors, Siraj, Tajuddin and Furqan, in connection with the incident. The preliminary investigation has indicated suspected disregard of safety norms during construction and construction being carried out without an approved building plan. Workers had also earlier raised concerns about the strength of the construction. It is alleged that the contractors ignored their warnings.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections, including Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The municipal corporation has also taken action against the officials concerned. A detailed investigation into the causes of the incident and possible negligence in the construction is under way.
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