3-year-old killed in building collapse in Delhi's Paharganj

An MCD official said preliminary reports have shown that the collapsed building was declared a dangerous building.

A 3-year-old boy was killed and his two minor siblings and father sustained injuries when a portion of a building collapsed in central Delhi’s Paharganj area on Thursday evening.

Site of the accident.  (Arvind Yadav/HT)

A Delhi Fire Service department official said that they received a call about a house collapse around 8:40pm. He said the incident took place near the Khanna cinema, and added seven fire tenders were pressed into service. “Four people who were caught in the debris were rescued by the firefighters. They were sent to the Kalawati Saran Hospital. Of the four rescued, a 3-year-old boy named Amjad died during treatment. His father. Mohammad Zaheer, 52, and two siblings, Zareena, 1, and Alifa, 8, are undergoing treatment. Rescue operation were going on to check if more people were trapped under the debris,” said Delhi Fire Service director Atul Garg.

Senior police officers, including deputy commissioner of police (Central) Shweta Chauhan were also present at the spot to coordinate rescue efforts. A Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) team was also pressed into service.

DCP Chauhan said the building was a dilapidated four-storey structure located in the main bazar of Paharganj. She said, “Only one family was residing in the building on the first floor. There were shops on the ground floor. On Thursday evening, the roof of second floor collapsed on the first floor where the family was residing, and that floor also collapsed under the impact.”

An MCD official said preliminary reports have shown that the collapsed building was declared a dangerous building. Three floors were lying vacant and one floor was occupied by a few people. “We have sought a detailed report from the zonal administration,” the official said.