Delhi: Eight-year-old boy killed in building collapse in Nangloi

The boy, Vansh, was sitting on the staircase and watching something on a mobile phone when the upper structure fell on him

An eight-year-old boy died and a 45-year-old man injured after a portion of an old two-storey building collapsed on them in outer Delhi’s Kamruddin Nagar area of Nangloi on Monday morning, police said.

Initial investigations revealed that the first and second floors of the building had roofs made of stone slabs supported by horizontal iron girders. (Representational image)

The boy, identified by his first name Vansh, was sitting on the staircase of the building and watching something on a mobile phone when nearly 25 square yards of the upper structure, built on 190 square yards, gave way and fell on him, crushing him to death instantly, police officers said.

Initial investigations revealed that the first and second floors of the building had roofs made of stone slabs supported by horizontal iron girders. Two water tanks were kept on the first-floor roof, and constant leakage from these tanks had corroded the iron beams over time. “The rusted girders gave way under the weight of the water-filled tanks. The roof of the first floor collapsed, bringing down the tanks and debris, which led to the fatal accident,” said a senior police officer.

Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services, said the fire control room received a call regarding the collapse at 7.12am. Four rescue teams were rushed to the spot. “Two people were rescued from the debris — an eight-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man. The boy was declared brought dead at the hospital, while the other man, Sakir Ali, was discharged after treatment,” Garg said.

The police registered a case under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125A (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Nangloi police station. Although the FIR does not name any accused, senior officers confirmed that the owner of the building would be held accountable.

The building is owned by Tarun Prakash Yadav, alias Guddu. According to police, nearly 15 people lived there on rent. Vansh and his family — including his father Veer Pal, mother, two siblings, and grandmother — had been staying in a rented room in the building for the past two months. His father, 40-year-old Veer Pal, works as a daily wage earner.

The FIR, a copy of which was reviewed by HT, is based on Pal’s complaint. He alleged that he had raised concerns with the landlord multiple times about the rusting iron girders due to water leakage from the tanks above. “I had told the building owner three to four times to fix the girders. I even warned him that I would vacate the premises if the repairs weren’t done. But he insisted we stay and assured us the repairs would happen soon,” Pal said in the complaint.

Around 7am on Monday, Pal was inside his room when he heard a loud crash. He rushed out and saw a portion of the building had collapsed and his son was missing. With help from locals, he pulled Vansh from under the rubble. The boy was unconscious and bleeding from the head and face. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Police said Sakir Ali, the injured man, had been standing on the first-floor roof when it collapsed.

Sachin Sharma, DCP (outer) said, “The building is old and the girders were weak and rusting for want of upkeep and maintenance.”