Seemapuri building collapse: Death toll rises to five as rescue teams search for more victims

The death toll in the collapse of a residential building in northeast Delhi’s New Seemapuri rose to five on Thursday after rescuers recovered two more bodies from the rubble.

The four-storey building collapsed at around 3.30pm on Wednesday in the congested lanes of New Seemapuri. A 21-year-old woman who was around four months pregnant and two children were among those killed. Rescue teams continued searching the debris on Thursday, with locals saying one or two more people could still be trapped.

The latest recoveries were of two women, aged around 60 and 35, whose identities were yet to be established, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said.

“Both dead women were residents of the four-storey building that collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. One woman’s age is 60 while the other woman was 35. Multiple teams are carrying out the search and rescue operation. The debris is being cleared to ascertain if more victims are trapped,” Meena said.

He added that efforts were under way to establish the identities of the women and that further details would be shared once confirmed.

Construction work under scanner

A preliminary inquiry has pointed towards construction activity at an adjoining building as a possible factor behind the collapse, although the authorities have not yet established the exact cause.

Northeast Delhi district magistrate Ajay Kumar said the collapsed structure occupied an area of nearly 25 square yards. According to the preliminary findings, labourers working on an adjacent building had been removing an allegedly illegal portion of the structure for the past three to four days.

The demolition work was reportedly being carried out with a vibrating machine. Authorities suspect that the vibrations may have triggered the collapse.

“The owner of the adjacent building had agreed to remove the illegal section of the building and had employed some labourers to remove it. The labourers were working for the past three-four days. The removal of the illegal section was being done using vibrating machine. The vibration allegedly triggered the collapse of the four-storey building,” Kumar said.

Locals had earlier complained about the alleged illegal construction at the neighbouring property, officials said.

Kumar stressed that a magisterial inquiry had already been ordered to establish the precise sequence of events and determine what caused the building to come down.

Residents have also claimed that the structure developed cracks after recent tremors, but the authorities have yet to establish whether seismic activity played any role.

Building owner absconding

Police are also looking for the owner of the collapsed building, identified only by his first name, Anwar.

A senior police officer said Anwar was absconding and that efforts were under way to locate and arrest him. The officer said the owner was one of two occupants of the building who were not present when it collapsed.

The building’s collapse trapped several residents beneath the debris. Eight injured people were rescued and taken to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for treatment. Earlier reports said 11 people had been rescued from the rubble in total.

Among the first three victims recovered on Wednesday night was Gulafsa, 21, who was four months pregnant. A 12-year-old girl and another child, believed to be around 18 months old, were also among the dead.

Large-scale rescue operation continues

The collapse occurred in tightly packed lanes where access to the site was difficult. The side of an Eidgah provided the only practical access point, prompting local residents to help firefighters and other emergency personnel clear debris.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service, district administration, Delhi Police and the District Disaster Management Authority are involved in the search and rescue operation.

At least eight cranes and earth movers have been deployed to break apart and remove the rubble. Medical teams, supported by four ambulances, are stationed at the site to provide immediate assistance to anyone rescued.

Kumar said around 75% of the debris had been cleared and estimated that the operation could be completed within another four to five hours, subject to the progress of the search.

Delhi Police personnel are being assisted by the Sashastra Seema Bal and civil defence volunteers, who have been deployed to manage crowds. Large numbers of residents have gathered around the site, both to assist emergency teams and to watch the rescue operation.

Families wait as search continues

The collapse has left families searching for missing relatives while rescue teams work through the debris.

Gulafsa’s family said the 21-year-old had managed to contact them from beneath the rubble after the collapse. Her father said she told them she wanted water and was unable to breathe before rescuers eventually pulled her out. She was later found dead.

The Seemapuri tragedy comes roughly a month after a building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan in which seven people were killed, bringing renewed attention to structural safety and alleged unauthorised construction in the capital.

The magisterial inquiry will now examine the construction activity at the adjoining property, the condition of the collapsed building and the sequence of events leading to the disaster.