Three dead, including two children; eight injured after building collapses in Delhi’s Seemapuri

NEW DELHI: Three people, including two children and a pregnant woman, were killed after a building collapsed in Seemapuri in northeast Delhi on Wednesday. Eight others were injured and admitted to GTB Hospital.

The incident occurred around 3.30 pm, and rescue operations continued into the night. A total of 11 people have been rescued so far, including the eight injured. Several others were initially feared trapped under the debris, while relatives said some people were still unaccounted for. Local residents also joined the rescue efforts and helped pull people from the collapsed structure before fire and rescue personnel arrived at the scene.

Reports differed over the number of floors in the building. Police described it as a four-storey structure built on a plot of around 225 square feet, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) classified it as a three-storey building. Other reports, including accounts from people at the scene, described it as a five-storey structure. Rescue teams continued searching the debris amid reports that cries for help could still be heard from inside the collapsed portion.

The collapse came amid concerns over the structural safety of old buildings in Delhi, following the building-collapse tragedy in Satya Niketan. An earthquake was reported in Uttarakhand earlier on Tuesday, with tremors felt in Delhi and other areas. The MCD said local residents had reported cracks in the Seemapuri building following the tremors. However, authorities have not yet established the earthquake as the cause of the collapse, and the exact reason is being investigated. Reports have also indicated that demolition work was underway at an adjacent building.