Chawri Bazar building collapse: 2 dead; Delhi CM orders suspension of 2 MCD engineers, FIR against contractor

A three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar on Thursday morning, killing at least two people.

Here are the top developments of the day:

• Three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar on Thursday morning.
• At least two people died and one other was critically injured in the incident.
• National Disaster Response Force teams and Delhi Fire Services authorities are carrying out search and rescue operations at the site.
• Locals in the area said they heard a “crashing sound” when the collapse took place, with some saying that construction had been going on for a few months now.
• DCP (Central District) Rohit Rajbir Singh told reporters that the building collapsed while the concrete slab was reportedly being laid.
• Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered the suspension of the concerned Junior Engineer and Assistant Engineer, following which the Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended the two. She also ordered a thorough probe into the incident and the registration of FIR against the contractor.
• CM Rekha Gupta also urged citizens to follow building safety standards while constructing their homes.
• Rescue operations are still underway.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday appealed to citizens to pay special attention to all the necessary safety standards while constructing their homes.

A statement issued by the CM's office said that she also urged people to ensure that construction work is carried out in accordance with prescribed rules and standards to prevent accidents and loss of life or property. She said that the safety of every citizen is paramount and that any negligence in building construction can have serious consequences.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: BJP MP from Chandni Chowk, Praveen Khandelwal, spoke to reporters at the building collapse site and termed the incident "unfortunate."

He said the debris from the incident site is being removed, but added that the lane is narrow and debris is present in large amounts.

"This is an unfortunate incident. But unauthorised construction was ongoing in narrow lanes, and this is a matter of concern. Strict action will be taken against officers responsible for this. All our Departments are working diligently. Efforts are being made to remove the debris, but the lane is narrow, and there is too much debris. So, it will take time. But it is certain that those who are responsible for this will not be spared...This will be investigated," he told reporters.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra told reporters on Thursday that construction under property safety arrangements is extremely important.

Reacting to the suspension of two MCD engineers in connection with the matter, Malhotra said that further action is being taken to ensure that such incidents don't happen again.

"Anyone found involved in this incident, whether an official or any other individual, will face strict action," he added.

The Delhi BJP chief further said, "The lane is barely eight feet wide, yet five- or six-storey buildings are being constructed there. Under such circumstances, there is always a risk of the building collapsing. I assure you that the strictest possible action will be taken in this matter."

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: The Delhi Police had informed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials about unauthorised construction at the three-storey building in Chawri Bazar -- which collapsed on Thursday -- nearly five months ago, officials aware of the matter said, adding that the civic body took no action.

“After receiving complaints, we had informed MCD about unauthorised construction at 4547 Galj Sheesh Mahal, Chawri Bazar on June 15, but we are not aware of any action being taken,” a senior officer aware of the investigation told HT on condition of anonymity.

HT reached out to MCD for comment on this matter, but no response has been received so far.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta visited the building collapse site and said that the way people often overlook safety measures while constructing their homes poses a fatal risk to their own lives.

"Two bodies have been recovered so far, and one injured person has been rescued. The structure was a ground-plus-two-story building. Further investigation will reveal the exact cause of the collapse. In the meantime, the Municipal Corporation has suspended the concerned Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE), and an FIR has been registered against the contractor responsible for the construction. I must emphasize that the way people often overlook safety and security measures while constructing their homes poses a fatal risk to their own lives," she told reporters.

"Any construction work must be carried out with strict adherence to safety and security protocols; furthermore, any official who overlooks such negligence will not be spared. The contractor—who was directly overseeing the project—failed to ensure safety and security, which is why an FIR has been filed against him," she added.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Mayor Parvesh Wahi told reporters at the building collapse site that the responsibility for the incident "also lies with property owners."

"Many of these lanes are barely two to three feet wide, making access extremely difficult... FIRs have been registered against those openly violating the rules, and further action will follow," he added.

Chawri Bazar building collapse: Hours after the incident, chief minister Rekha Gupta and development minister Ashish Sood visited the building collapse site in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Saqib Shah, who lives next to the collapsed building, told HT that just four to five days ago he had told his wife that the building would fall.

He said the construction was happening very quickly, adding that the lanter wasn't allowed to dry properly.

"Just four-five days before I told my wife that this building would fall. The construction was happening so quickly that they weren’t letting the lanter dry up properly. The rescue team arrived about an hour after the incident. However, before that, the contractor had taken a few workers in an auto to the hospital," Shah said.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: In response to the building collapse, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta has ordered the immediate suspension of the concerned Junior Engineer and Assistant Engineer, a thorough inquiry into the incident, and the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the contractor

She has also issued strict directions to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and immediate ex-gratia assistance to the affected families. Additionally, the CM has also said that stringent action will be taken against those found responsible, in accordance with the law.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Rohit Rajbir Singh, DCP (Central District), told reporters that the under-construction building had been built up to the third floor, with further construction underway.

"The building reportedly collapsed while the concrete slab was being laid. A major portion of the building has caved in, and people living in the neighbouring buildings have been evacuated," news agency PTI quoted Singh as saying.

He further stated the building adjacent to the collapsed structure is also in a "precarious condition," adding that the debris is moved towards that side.

"So far, three people have been rescued from the debris, with significant assistance from the NDRF team. Fire department personnel and MCD officials have also reached the spot. Of the three rescued, two were declared dead at the hospital, while one sustained injuries but is out of danger," he added.

According to DCP Singh, only these three casualties have been confirmed so far.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: “The building had been under construction for the past two months, and work was underway on the lanter of the third floor. It collapsed at around 9:30 am, while approximately seven to eight labourers were working at the site. For nearly half an hour after the collapse, I could hear them screaming for help, but then, all of a sudden, the screams stopped and everything went silent. Locals were hesitant to come forward to help because three newly constructed buildings stood nearby, and we feared those structures might also collapse,” said a 42-year-old who lives just a few steps away from the building.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Last month, four people, including two children, died after a five-storey residential building collapsed in Delhi's Seemapuri area. Eight others were injured in the incident. The latest collapse in Chawri Bazaar has once again raised concerns over building safety in the national capital.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: A local resident, Mohd Nayeem, said he woke up after hearing a loud crashing sound and rushed outside, initially fearing that his own house had collapsed. "This happened around 9:00 or 9:30. We were asleep when we heard a crashing sound. We all got up and rushed outside. We thought our own house was collapsing. When we checked, we realized it was the house being built next door," he told news agency ANI.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Rescue and relief operations are underway on a war footing after an under-construction building collapsed in Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi. The Directorate of Information & Publicity, Government of NCT of Delhi, said on X that teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, MCD, CATS and NDRF were immediately deployed to the site. "Every possible effort is being made to safely evacuate those trapped under the debris and provide prompt medical assistance to the injured," the department said.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked the Rekha Gupta government and raised questions over building safety audits and alleged corruption in enforcement by civic and other government departments in Delhi.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj wrote, “Another 3-storey building collapses at Chawri Bazaar/Chandni Chowk. Many feared trapped under debris. Rekha Gupta’s government and MCD conducted multiple safety audits of all buildings in Delhi, yet buildings keep collapsing. Why?" he said.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: As search and rescue operations are underway, Mohd Altaf, a local, told news agency PTI that his house is just outside the lane where a building in Chawri Bazar. He said that no damage was caused to the other buildings in the vicinity.

"My house is just outside this lane. A new 2-3 storey building was being constructed. We heard a loud noise when the building collapsed. There is no damage to other nearby buildings," he said.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Assistant Divisional Officer Rajesh Shukla said that the public in the area rescued four people from the building before the Delhi fire services team arrived at the spot. All four people have been taken to Lok Nayak hospital.

He further said that the two people later removed from the building were already dead.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Four people were killed after a five-storey building collapsed in New Seemapuri last month.

The deceased included two children, a 21-year-old pregnant woman and two other women, police had confirmed, HT reported earlier.

Later, one of the two other deceased women was identified as Nusrat, daughter of the building owner Mohammad Anwar, ho was not present at the time of the collapse.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: A large section of Chandni Chowk's more than 160-year-old Town Hall -- a Grade-I protected heritage building owned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) -- collapsed on Wednesday, damaging its facade, first floor, roof, walls of the main entrance porch and the clock mounted above it, HT reported.

Ironically, the historic building is owned by the very civic body responsible for protecting and maintaining heritage structures across Delhi.

The complex, which has remained largely unused since MCD shifted its headquarters from this building in 2011-12, has crumbling corridors, damaged windows, peeling plaster and blocked passageways.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: An eyewitness, identified as Mohd Nayeem, told news agency ANI that he was asleep when a crashing sound was heard. He said his family thought that their own house was collapsing.

Nayeem also said that injured labourers at the site stated that about three or four people were in the building at the time of the incident.

"This happened around 9:00 or 9:30. We were asleep when we heard a crashing sound. We all got up and rushed outside. We thought our own house was collapsing. When we checked, we realized it was the house being built next door. Three or four lintels had already been cast, and they all collapsed at once. One of the injured laborers said there were about three or four people there. We saw a body being taken out. This building was under construction for the last 3-4 months," he told ANI.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is carrying out search and rescue operations at the building collapse site in Chawri Bazar.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Two people died and one other was injured after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: A three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar on Thursday morning. Several people are also reportedly feared trapped.

The incident was reported at 9:50am from Gali Sitara, near the Chawri Bazar Metro station.

At least six fire units, including water tenders and rescue vehicles, were rushed to the scene, PTI reported, quoting officials.