Two Dead in Northeast Delhi Building Collapse, Weeks After Satya Niketan Incident

Two men, believed to be a father and son, died after two slabs of a building collapsed in northeast Delhi on Sunday evening, police and fire officials said. The victims were identified as Chanderpal, 60, and Vijay Kumar, 33. They were trapped under the debris and were declared dead after being rescued and taken to hospital.

The building, owned by Manoj Kumar, housed a godown on the ground floor, with a structure built above it on the first floor. Both the godown and the first-floor structure collapsed. The incident occurred in the Milan Garden area under the Harsh Vihar police station limits.

The Delhi Fire Services said a call about the collapse was received at 6:46 pm. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and a rescue operation was launched involving the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Services, local police, Civil Defence personnel and residents. Rescue teams cleared the debris amid reports that two people could be trapped underneath.

The collapse comes weeks after the Satya Niketan building tragedy, which claimed seven lives. The Satya Niketan structure, near Delhi University's South Campus, was being used as a boys' paying guest accommodation. It had a basement and five upper floors. Repair work was underway in the basement when the structure gave way.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Lamba said the collapsed structure in Milan Garden was originally an old single-storey building and that construction work was underway to add another floor. 'We received a call that a building had collapsed. The original structure was an old, single-storey building; an additional floor was being constructed on top. The area is completely enclosed, making it difficult to even identify exactly which building collapsed,' he said, according to news agency ANI.

Before the deaths were confirmed, Delhi ministers Kapil Mishra and Ashish Sood visited the site to review the rescue operation. Mishra said firefighters and NDRF personnel were engaged in rescue efforts and that no fatalities had been reported at that stage. 'The fire department and NDRF personnel are actively engaged... It is believed that two individuals may be trapped beneath the debris, though there have been no reports of fatalities thus far; efforts are underway to rescue them,' he told reporters.

Calling the incident unfortunate, Mishra said all relevant agencies had been mobilised and that the circumstances leading to the collapse would be examined. 'All relevant agencies are fully mobilised. This is, without a doubt, an unfortunate incident, and the circumstances surrounding its occurrence will certainly be investigated,' he said.

He also shared a preliminary assessment of what may have caused the collapse. 'At first glance, it appears that an attempt was being made to install a new lintel; it collapsed, causing the floor below to cave in as well, trapping two people — reportedly a father and his son,' Mishra added.

A local resident said the collapse appeared to have occurred while a concrete slab was being laid for the additional floor. 'A concrete slab was being cast for the building. The existing lower slab was weak, and a new one was being laid on top of it. As a result, the lower slab gave way, causing the entire new slab above it to collapse,' the resident said.

The Satya Niketan collapse, in which a building used as a boys' PG gave way during repair work, had focused attention on building safety in the capital. There was no immediate information on whether the construction at the Milan Garden building had permission or whether any action had been taken against its owner.