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An uneasiness lay over the area in Satya Niketan on Monday where a building collapsed a day earlier. The incident has caused fear among residents and locals about the structural integrity of other buildings in the area. Many students could be seen walking through the narrow lanes, dragging their suitcases along, as they moved out of their accommodations in fear.
At least seven people have died after building 14, a paying guest accommodation for boys collapsed, on Sunday afternoon. 10 people had been pulled out from under the rubble till late evening on Sunday and two others were pulled out on Monday.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had cleared the debris from the ground by 12pm on Monday and continued to clear the basement area till evening to ensure no one was trapped underneath. The rescue operation finally ended at around 5.10pm with most of the debris largely cleared away.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) began issuing demolition notices to dangerous buildings around the site.
A senior MCD official said a building adjacent to the collapsed structure was “barely standing”, while three others were being examined. “We found that building number 13 is barely standing. It had been evacuated yesterday. The demolition drive will be carried out once the rescue operation is over,” the official said.
“There are three more such buildings in the area, including building number 15 next to the demolition site. A survey is being carried out and all such structures are being identified to prevent any further damage,” the official added.
One of the structures has been found in such poor condition that iron jacks have been installed to support it.
One of the buildings in question is where 21-year-old Ananya was living. All her belongings, including her original documents, electronics, and cash, were still inside her room at house 12.
“I am very stressed about my belongings,” she said, “House 12 is joint with it, so it will also probably be demolished. This will take place over a few days and they will try to give us our belongings if they can. But how will that be possible if rubble is falling on them?” she asked.
The second-year bioscience student at Sri Venkateshwara College said owners of house 12 had said that they would shift the students to another place, but that her parents were very worried and wanted her to find a new place to live. “That is also a huge point of stress right now. Last night I stayed at my relatives house, and tonight I might stay at my friend’s, but I have no idea what the future holds. I just want my documents,” she said.
The collapsed building was property number 14, the MCD said. Built on around 55 square yards in a resettlement colony, the five-storey structure dates to the 1990s. The civic body has not explained why unauthorised construction at the property was not detected or stopped by its field teams.
Notices to other buildings have been issued under Section 348 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, which empowers the municipal commissioner to order the demolition, securing or repair of buildings found to be ruinous, likely to fall or dangerous to people.
The notice served on one of the properties said it was in a “ruinous and dangerous condition” for anyone occupying or passing by it and ordered the owner to demolish it within three days. Failure to comply, it said, would result in the MCD carrying out the demolition and recovering the charges from the owner.
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