A 41-year-old man was killed after an under-construction four-storey building collapsed in Delhi's Rohini Sector 16 on Wednesday amid continuous heavy rainfall in the national capital. Authorities fear that three to four people, including the building's owner, may still be trapped under the debris.
The deceased, identified as Ram, was passing by the building when it suddenly collapsed, causing debris to fall on him. He died at the scene.
Officials said the owner of the building, Ram Dua, is also believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue teams are carrying out an intensive search-and-rescue operation to locate and evacuate those feared buried under the collapsed structure.
The Delhi Fire Service received information about the collapse at around 4:20 pm and rushed four fire tenders to the spot. Emergency personnel remain at the site as efforts to clear the debris and rescue the trapped individuals continue.
Authorities said the rescue operation is currently underway, and the exact number of people trapped or injured is yet to be confirmed. Further details are awaited as emergency personnel continue efforts at the site.
Delhi-NCR lashed by heavy rains, traffic snarls and waterlogging follow
Heavy rainfall lashed Delhi on Wednesday, causing widespread waterlogging across several parts of the city and disrupting traffic movement. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red and orange alerts, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and more rain over the next few hours.
According to the IMD, Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 25.4°C and received 14.2 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am.
The weather department said thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and heavy rainfall were very likely in several districts, while other areas were expected to receive light to moderate rain. Wind speeds of up to 40 kmph were also forecast.
The downpour led to waterlogging in several areas, including Sadar Bazar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar and Kushak Road, with pedestrians seen wading through knee-deep water in some locations.
Traffic was severely affected across the capital. Long queues of vehicles were reported on Rohtak Road, where movement remained nearly at a standstill between Punjabi Bagh and Shadipur for several hours. The congestion worsened after many two-wheeler riders stopped beneath elevated Metro corridors to take shelter from the rain, creating major bottlenecks. The busy ITO intersection also witnessed heavy traffic congestion.
Also read: 15 feared trapped after building collapses in Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad amid heavy rain
