NEW DELHI: A portion of a mosque in Hauz Qazi area of old Delhi collapsed on Monday after cracks appeared on its walls, a senior Delhi Police officer said. The mosque was evacuated 30 minutes before its collapse. No injuries or casualties were reported.
According to the police officer, the incident took place at around 1:30 p.m. in Chudiwala, and the fire officials were informed soon after the mosque’s walls developed cracks.
Two fire tenders were pressed into service, and the mosque was evacuated while, the police cordoned off the area. Locals claimed that the mosque collapsed only after the road caved in. Police said that they will probe the incident.
According to an official from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the mosque collapsed due to its weak foundation. There is no road cave-in incident in the area, the MCD officer said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP accused Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi of her “negligence”, which led to the incident in the walled city.“Two weeks back, I wrote to the Mayor and the MCD commissioner demanding an immediate survey of dangerous buildings and remedial steps.
I had warned that in this year’s exceptional heat, old, depleted buildings are developing cracks, and in the following monsoon, things can prove fatal. However, instead of ordering a survey of dangerous buildings, the Mayor misguided the media persons, saying that the survey is ongoing and remedial measures are being taken,” Delhi BJP spokesperson PS Kapoor said.