By 
New Delhi: A busy Thursday morning in Old Delhi turned into a scene of dust, rubble and anxious waiting after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in the Chandni Chowk area. Two people have died, and six others are feared to be trapped under the debris as rescue teams work in the narrow lanes around the site.
The collapse happened in Gali Sattara, Sheesh Mahal, close to Chawri Bazaar Metro Station, in the heart of the walled city.
Key takeaways
- Two people are dead. Police confirmed the deaths after the collapse.
- Six people are feared trapped. Rescuers believe several workers or occupants may still be under the rubble. An exact count has not been confirmed.
- It was an under-construction building. The three-storey structure was still being built when it came down.
- Rescue is underway. Fire units and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working at the site, and a body has been recovered.
- The cause is not yet known. Authorities have not said what led to the collapse.
- The site has been closed off while operations continue.
What happened
The fire department received a call about the collapse at around 9:50 am. The area falls under the Paiwalan jurisdiction. A resident said the building came down sometime between about 9 and 9:30 am, which suggests alarm may have spread before emergency calls reached the control room.
Six fire units were rushed to the spot. The first wave included two water tenders, one water bowser, one Quick Response Vehicle and one Incident Response Team vehicle. An additional water tender and an Assistant Divisional Officer were sent soon after, bringing the deployment to six units.
By around 10:15 am, the station officer on site reported that a three-storey building under construction had collapsed and that people might be trapped inside. He asked for more manpower and for a senior officer to be present.
The rescue operation
Teams from the NDRF later joined the effort and began searching the debris. Rescuers have recovered one body from the site. Searching through the rubble of a collapsed building is slow work. Teams usually clear debris by hand and with small tools, checking for voids where trapped people might still be alive, and then use heavier equipment carefully so as not to cause a second collapse.
The setting adds to the difficulty. The lanes around Chawri Bazaar are narrow and crowded with shops, traffic and pedestrians, which makes it hard to bring in heavy machinery and to move people and equipment quickly. Officials said the area has been cordoned off to keep onlookers away and to give the teams space.
What officials have said so far
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Location | Gali Sattara, Sheesh Mahal, near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station, Chandni Chowk |
| Time of call | About 9:50 am, Thursday |
| Building | Three-storey, under construction |
| Dead | Two, as confirmed by police |
| Feared trapped | Six |
| Fire units deployed | Six, with NDRF teams also at the site |
| Cause | Not yet established |
| Injured | Not officially confirmed at the time of writing |
The political reaction
The collapse has already become a political issue. Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Delhi government and civic bodies, questioning the effectiveness of building safety audits and alleging that enforcement departments collect bribes from builders, which he said allows unsafe construction to continue. These are his allegations, and they have not been tested or confirmed. No official response from the government or the civic agencies was available when this report was prepared.
Why such collapses worry residents
Old Delhi is one of the most densely built parts of the capital, with old structures, new construction and shared walls packed tightly together. Renovation and construction work in such an area can put pressure on neighbouring buildings, and safety checks matter a great deal. Whether anything of that kind played a part in this collapse is something only an inquiry can establish, and it would be wrong to guess before the findings come out.
What happens next
Rescue teams will keep searching the debris until everyone trapped is accounted for, while police identify the dead and confirm how many people were inside. Authorities are expected to examine the cause, including approvals and safety compliance, and the owner, builder and civic agencies may face scrutiny once the facts are established.
What to watch next
The final count of people rescued, injured, and dead, and official confirmation of the cause will be the first things to look for. Further out, watch for any action against the builder or owner, safety audits in the area, and compensation for the victims’ families.
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