NEW DELHI: In a swift overnight operation, 22 people were rescued after a four-storey building collapsed in north Delhi’s Subzi Mandi area early Tuesday morning, officials said. The rescue was carried out jointly by the Delhi Police, Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local authorities.
According to police, the collapsed building was unoccupied at the time of the incident. However, people from adjacent structures, which sustained partial damage, were temporarily trapped under debris.
“A PCR call was received around 3 am at the Subzi Mandi police station reporting that a building had collapsed in Punjabi Basti near Buta Singh Gurudwara,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia. The building was identified as house number 2475/76.
Emergency teams including two fire tenders, six PCR vans, four ambulances, an NDRF unit, and staff from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office rushed to the site, the DCP added. Authorities discovered that approximately 20 to 22 people were trapped in nearby structures due to structural damage caused by the collapse.
“All individuals were safely rescued and no casualties were reported. Some injured persons were taken to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital for treatment and later discharged,” said the DCP.
In addition to the collapsed structure, portions of two adjacent buildings were also damaged. Several parked vehicles, including motorcycles and a car in the narrow lane, sustained damage during the incident.
Police added that prior warnings about the building’s dilapidated condition had been issued to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The collapsed structure had reportedly been vacated earlier for safety reasons. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collapse and assess structural safety in the area.
In a statement, the MCD said the building was found to be dangerous during regular inspection. “Because of the prompt action of MCD the building was vacated in the last week of August. Firm protection was taken to vacate the building and the building was lying vacant at the time of incident. Malba removal work is being carried out by MCD with the help of other agencies,” it said.