Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered an investigation into the building collapse in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad in which at least four people have been killed, while 8-10 are still believed to be trapped under the rubble as rescue operations continue.
Gupta stated that the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service (DFS), and other concerned agencies are actively involved in the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
"All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure proper treatment for the injured," she said.
The incident occurred around 2.30 am in the Shakti Vihar locality of Mustafabad, when a four-storey building suddenly collapsed.
According to police, around 22 people were inside the building at the time. Fourteen of them were rescued and taken to GTB Hospital, where doctors confirmed that four had died.
Authorities believe that 8 to 10 individuals may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The incident follows a sudden change in Delhi’s weather on Friday evening, when heavy rainfall and thunderstorms struck several parts of the city.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vineet Kumar said, "Around 7 pm, we received a PCR call. On reaching the spot, we found that the wall of a six-floor under-construction building had collapsed during the dust storm. One person died and two were injured. The injured were taken to the hospital."
When asked about the cause of the collapse, Mr Lamba said an investigation would be carried out to determine the reason. Divisional Fire Officer Rajendra Atwal stated that they received a call about the incident at around 2:50 am.
"Upon reaching the site, we found that the entire building had collapsed, with several people trapped under the debris. The NDRF and Delhi Fire Services are engaged in rescue operations," he said.
The collapse occurred just hours after heavy rain, gusty winds, and thunderstorms swept through parts of Delhi.
This incident follows another collapse last week, when a wall of an under-construction building gave way during a severe dust storm near Madhu Vihar, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
Former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal offered condolences over the deaths and appealed to his party workers to cooperate with authorities in rescue efforts.
"This incident of building collapse in Mustafabad is very sad. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I appeal to all the party workers to fully cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations," he wrote in a post on X.
