‘Loud crashing sound, lintels collapsed at once’: Eyewitnesses recall moment Chawri Bazar building collapsed

An eyewitness said residents rushed out of their homes, initially fearing their own building was collapsing.

Residents of Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar rushed out of their homes after a three-storey under-construction building collapsed with a loud crash on Thursday morning, killing two people and injuring several others.

The collapse occurred in Gali Sattara, Sheesh Mahal, near Chawri Bazar Metro station in Delhi's Chandni Chowk area. (PTI video)

An eyewitness said residents rushed out of their homes, initially fearing their own building was collapsing.

Mohd Nayeem said residents rushed out of their homes after hearing a loud crashing sound, initially fearing that their own building was collapsing, news agency ANI reported.

"This happened around 9-9.30. We were asleep when we heard a crashing sound. We all got up and rushed outside. We thought our own house was collapsing. When we checked, we realized it was the house being built next door," Nayeem said.

Track Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE updates here.

‘Three or four lintels collapsed at once’

Describing the incident, Nayeem said several lintels in the under-construction building collapsed at once. He added that an injured labourer had told them that three to four workers were present at the site.

"Three or four lintels had already been cast, and they all collapsed at once. One of the injured labourers said about three or four people were there. We saw a body being taken out. This building was under construction for the last 3-4 months..." he said.

Another resident, Mohd Altaf, said his house was located just outside the lane where the building collapsed. He recalled hearing a loud noise as the structure came down and said nearby buildings had not sustained any damage.

"My house is just outside this lane. A new 2-3 storey building was being constructed. We heard a loud noise when the building collapsed. There is no damage to other nearby buildings," Altaf said.

Rescue teams rushed to spot

The collapse occurred in Gali Sattara, Sheesh Mahal, near Chawri Bazar Metro station in Delhi's Chandni Chowk area. According to the fire department, a call about the incident was received at around 9.50 am under the jurisdiction of Paiwalan.

At least six fire department units, including water tenders, a water bowser and rescue vehicles, were deployed at the site after a call was received at 9.50 am, PTI reported. A DFS official said at least 15 people were feared trapped under the debris, while several others had sustained injuries.

"At least 15 people are feared trapped... several have been injured," the official said, adding that teams from the NDMC, Delhi Police, DFS and MCD were involved in the rescue operation.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)