Harsh Vihar: Another building collapse linked to illegal construction claims two lives

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said the collapse occurred on the night of October 23 at Khasra No. 2/17, near Seva Dham Road in Mandoli Extension.

Yet another building collapse in the national capital has claimed two lives, this time in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar, where an under-construction building collapsed on Sunday, raising concerns about rampant illegal construction in the city.

An excavator at the site as a rescue operation is underway after a slab of a house under construction collapsed in Harsh Vihar, northeast Delhi, on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (PTI)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said the collapse occurred on the night of October 23 at Khasra No. 2/17, near Seva Dham Road in Mandoli Extension. Both Mandoli Extension and Harsh Vihar are listed as unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

Earlier this year, the central government announced that properties in 1,511 unauthorised colonies would be regularised on an “as-is, where-is” basis for built-up structures used for residential purposes, provided they existed on or before April 6. However, this did not permit fresh construction without the requisite approvals from the civic body.

Civic officials, meanwhile, claimed that they had received no complaint regarding the construction and that the work was being carried out during a "long holiday period", with the "gates closed."

Ankush Narang, the leader of the opposition, said that the collapse of a lintel and parapet due to illegal construction in Harsh Vihar, Delhi, resulting in the deaths of two people, is extremely tragic and raises serious questions about the functioning of MCD.

"Until when will the common people of Delhi continue to pay the price for illegal construction and administrative negligence under BJP rule with their lives? The Aam Aadmi Party demands a fair investigation into the matter, strict action against the guilty, and accountability for those who provide protection to illegal construction," he said.

Roof replacement turned deadly

An MCD official said there were three gates providing access to the rear portion of the property, and that the main gate was closed.

“According to the local inquiry, the owner was carrying out the roof replacement work on the first floor with the outer gate closed. Therefore, rescue operations commenced after all three gates, including the main gate, were broken open. No building material was found outside the property during the rescue operations,” the official said.

According to the MCD, the circumstances of the incident suggest that the rear portion of the first-floor structure collapsed while the owner was replacing the existing T-iron and stone-slab roofing with a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slab. The debris reportedly fell onto the ground-floor roof.

“Consequently, the roof of the ground floor also collapsed, resulting in the collapse of the affected portion of the building,” the official added.

Multiple collapses

Delhi has witnessed multiple building collapses in recent months, raising concerns about construction safety and enforcement by civic agencies. In New Seemapuri, a building collapse claimed three lives, including that of a child. The civic body had said at the time that cracks had developed in the 20- to 25-year-old, four-storey building following an earthquake.

Another major incident occurred in Satya Niketan in southwest Delhi on September 6, when a building collapse claimed seven lives and left several others injured.

The deadly collapse in Saidulajab on May 30 was also attributed to additional construction on a four-storey structure.

What followed each of these building collapses is a familiar script. Agencies attempt to transfer blame, and no one takes ownership of the structural failure that has crept into unplanned areas across Delhi.