Five people injured in Azad Market building collapse in Delhi

Money being collected for illegal constructions: AAP

Rescue operation underway at the site. | Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY

Five people were injured as a four-storey under-construction building collapsed in north Delhi’s Azad market on Friday morning, officials said. All the five injured — three labourers and two local residents — were shifted to Hindu Rao hospital, the police said.

The incident took a political turn with the AAP attacking the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Central government-appointed Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over the incident.

“Money is being taken for the construction of illegal buildings in the city. The MCD is now under the L-G and the Centre. The question is where is the money going?” said Saurabh Bharadwaj, the chief spokesperson of AAP.

The MCD and the L-G's office did not respond to the allegations.

Reason for collapse

The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the incident at 8.30 a.m. on Friday and four fire tenders with rescue operation teams were sent to the spot, officials said. According to DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi, the building collapsed as it was overloaded with construction materals. No one was inside it at the time of the incident.

“The injured persons sustained facial and head injuries along with lacerations,” a senior police officer said.

One of the injured labourers, Congresh Yadav, said they were working on the third floor of the building when it collapsed. He added that three to four people would work at the under-construction building in two shifts.

Came under debris

Aziz Ur Rehman, one of the two residents of the area who sustained injuries, said, “I was in a lane right next to the site when the building collapsed. I was buried under the debris. I thought I won't be able to make it. However, someone pulled me out.”

Various response teams including National Disaster Response Force and District Disaster Management Authority also rushed to the spot.

Police said they have identified the building’s owner, Ajay Kumar Jain, and the builder, Md. Muzaffir, and lodged an FIR against them under Sections 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The building plan was sanctioned by the MCD, said officials, adding that no deviation or excess coverage was noticed at the site at the time of inspection.

Civic body officials suspect that substandard material was used in the construction of the building and it was heavily loaded with construction material, which caused its collapse. “However, the exact cause can be ascertained only after removal of debris from the site,” a senior official added.