10 killed in Delhi building collapse

A four-storey building at Inderlok in North Delhi collapsed on Saturday morning, killing 10 people, including five children.

According to the police, the incident took place around 8-30 a.m. in Tulsi Nagar colony. Fourteen people were residing in the building. The sound of the crash was so loud that vibrations were felt far and wide.

Mohammad Naeem and Abdul Rashid alias Raju, two men living on the top two floors

, managed to escape with injuries.

Both, however, lost all other members of their families. The other deceased include three cousins living on rent on the second floor.

The police suspect that construction activities in an adjoining plot, cleared after razing an old structure, could have led to the weakening of the collapsed building.

“While the demolition took away the support from one side, the digging work weakened its foundation,” said a police officer.

A case has been registered against three persons for causing death by negligence.

Among the accused are Javed, the owner of the empty plot and a contractor.

Narrow roads hindered rescue operations.

The last person was taken out from the debris around 2-30 p.m.

Area residents alleged that it was only because of the connivance between the municipal authorities, the police and those involved in illegal constructions that incidents like these happen.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has ordered suspension of two engineers and instituted an inquiry.