Delhi Chawri Bazar Collapse: Death Toll Rises To 3 As One More Body Recovered After 2 Days

The death toll in the Chawri Bazar building collapse in Old Delhi rose to three on Saturday after rescue workers recovered another body from the debris, Delhi Police said. The latest victim has been identified as 40-year-old Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Hanuman Nagar village in Bihar's Khagaria district.

With the latest recovery, five people have been accounted for at the collapse site, including three deceased and two injured. The other two victims who died have been identified as Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45. The two injured persons have received medical treatment and are stable, police said.

Rescue operations are continuing at the site near Ajmeri Gate, where a three-storey under-construction building collapsed on Thursday morning.

Chawri Bazar Building Collapse: 3 Contractors Arrested

Delhi Police have arrested three contractors in connection with the building collapse. The accused have been identified as Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan, all residents of Sirohi village in Faridabad's Dauj tehsil, Haryana.

They were arrested in connection with a case registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.

The building, located at Gali Sheesh Mahal, Gali Shehatara, near Ajmeri Gate, collapsed at around 10:30 am on Thursday. The incident initially left two people dead and five injured.

Earlier, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manoj Kumar said five people were suspected to be trapped in the basement, while four had been rescued. Around 30 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were deployed for the rescue operation.

Suspected Cause Of Collapse Under Investigation

Explaining the suspected cause of the collapse, Kumar said a four-storey structure had been built on a small plot and that temporary supports may have been removed before the concrete had dried.

"A four-storey structure had been built on a small plot. It appears that the centring (temporary support) was removed while the debris/concrete was still wet, which led to the collapse. The wet debris has now set and is trapped in the basement...It is suspected that 5 people are trapped. Currently, 30 personnel from the NDRF and MCD are engaged in the operation. Four people have been rescued," he said.

Unauthorised construction on the second and third floors is also suspected to have given way, bringing down the entire structure.

Narrow Lane Poses Challenge To Rescue Teams

The building is located in a densely populated locality, at the end of a dead-end lane barely three feet wide. The narrow passage has made it difficult for rescue teams to bring in motorised vehicles, rescue trucks and heavy earthmoving machinery.

Police said rescue operations were still underway as teams continued to search the debris for anyone who might remain trapped.

(With inputs from ANI)