NEW DELHI: A five-storey building collapsed in northwest Delhi on Wednesday, killing four children, two women and injuring seven others.
The building, constructed on a 25-yard plot at Harijan Basti in Ashok Vihar Phase III, collapsed and a part of it toppled onto an adjacent building.
"Fortunately, the building didn't collapse like a house of cards. This prevented others in the vicinity from getting trapped and injured," a National Disaster Response Force official said, even as two teams looked for more people still feared trapped under the debris.
Shockingly, the collapse took place three weeks after the 20-year-old structure was inspected by a municipal team following complaints by residents of the area.
Police have registered a case under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), punishable with a maximum jail term of 10 years, against the owner Dharmender, who had rented out the building.
The ground floor of the building housed a shop, which was closed at the time of the incident, while the second, third and fourth floors were occupied by tenants. The first floor was vacant.
According to residents of the area, two families, engaged in daily labour work, resided in the top two floors of the building.
"It was evident from the appearance of the building that it won't last long and will collapse," said a resident of the area.
Police have registered a case against three accused persons the house owner Dharmender and Sachin and his father under section 304/34 of the IPC, DCP, North West said.
Gupta, who runs a shop on the ground floor of the building, claimed a complaint was also lodged with the MCD regarding the building last year.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a magisterial probe into the building collapse and slammed the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation for laxity.
Kejriwal went to Deepchand Bandhu Hospital to meet the victims and declared compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and the seven injured persons.