Two people were killed and several others injured after a multi-storey building collapsed on Saturday morning in Gali Number 5, Janata Colony, located in the Seelampur area of North-East Delhi.
The deceased have been identified as Matloob (50) and his wife Rabia (46). Their bodies were recovered from the debris as rescue operations continued at the site, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and civil defence on the ground.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, who visited the location, said relief efforts were severely hampered due to narrow alleys leading to the site.
“The NDRF is here, but this alley is so narrow that debris can only be removed by hand. Rescue operations are extremely difficult,” Mishra said, adding that more individuals may still be trapped under the rubble.
Earlier reports confirmed that eight people, including a 14-month-old child, were injured in the incident. The injured include Parvez (32), Naved (19), Siza (21), Deepa (56), Govind (60), Ravi Kashyap (27), Jyoti (27), and infant Ahmad. All were rushed to Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital, while the child was referred to GTB Hospital.
Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba said the collapse occurred around 7 am, with rescue efforts initiated shortly after.
“Seven people have been rescued so far. Around 3-4 are still feared trapped. Locals have extended great support in the ongoing rescue,” he said.
The collapsed structure reportedly belonged to Matloob, and the adjacent building also suffered structural damage due to the incident.
Local resident Anees Ahmad Ansari, whose house was partially destroyed, recounted the terrifying moments: “Everyone was sleeping when the building next door collapsed into ours. There was a blackout. We fear 4-5 people are still under the debris.”
The tragedy comes just a day after a similar building collapse in the Pul Mithai area of North Delhi, which claimed one life and injured several others. That structure had commercial shops and storage units and was located in the Azad Market zone near Lohia Chowk.
Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations amid concerns over structural safety in congested urban areas.
