Chawri Bazar collapse: Toll rises to 7; CM announces ex gratia of ₹10L

The death toll in the building collapse in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar has risen to seven after rescuers recovered another body from under the debris

The death toll in the building collapse in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar has risen to seven after rescuers recovered another body from under the debris. Chief minister Rekha Gupta, meanwhile, announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin for all victims on Tuesday.

Photo for representation (Shutterstock)

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said that the latest victim was identified as 66-year-old Luchhuman Mukhiya. He was a resident of Jakauli village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district and was working at the site at the time of the collapse.

His body was recovered on Sunday during the rescue operation at the site. “It was shifted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital,” the officer added.

The rescue operation was then finally called off at 4:30am on Sunday, said a senior Delhi Fire Service official.

Announcing the compensation on Tuesday, Gupta posted on X that the “Delhi government stands firmly with the affected families and was committed to extending every possible assistance during the difficult time.”

The three-storey structure, located in Gali Sitara near Chawri Bazar Metro station, collapsed in two stages around 9.30am on Thursday while construction work was under way, trapping several workers. The building stood on a plot measuring around 70 square yards.

Nine people were pulled out of the site. This including two injured workers who were discharged after treatment and are stable, police said.

The victims were identified as Pankaj Sharma, Kishori, Sanjeet, Shantu, Vipin Ram and Dinesh Sah. Many of them were sole earning members of their families and had travelled from Bihar to Delhi in search of work.

A first information report (FIR), based on the complaint of an injured worker, was registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings), 125(a) (negligent act with respect to buildings) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The FIR said workers had raised concerns about the structural stability of the building and warned contractors that the newly laid lintel had not dried sufficiently to support further construction.

The complaint further alleged that the contractors ignored their warnings and asked them to continue working.

Police have arrested the building owner, Saimullah (alias Ayub), and three contractors —Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan — in connection with the case. The contractors were arrested from Sirohi village in Faridabad’s Dauj tehsil.

The municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD) is also facing scrutiny after it emerged that Delhi Police had alerted it about construction at the property nearly five months before the collapse. A subsequent civic inquiry alleged that the owner used an advisory permitting repairs as cover to clandestinely construct fresh second and third floors without the necessary permissions.

Gupta had earlier ordered the suspension of the junior engineer and assistant engineer concerned and directed a detailed inquiry into the incident.