Worker falls to death as under-construction building slab collapses in Tilak Nagar

A 55-year-old construction worker died after a roof projection -- where he was standing -- of an under-construction building collapsed on Friday afternoon, causing him to fall from the fourth floor in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, police said

A 55-year-old construction worker died after a roof projection -- where he was standing -- of an under-construction building collapsed on Friday afternoon, causing him to fall from the fourth floor in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, police said.

Police have registered a case against the owner of the building for alleged negligence, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has ordered the premises to be sealed. (Representative photo)

Police have registered a case against the owner of the building for alleged negligence, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has ordered the premises to be sealed.

Police said that the deceased was identified as Mohammed Bhola, who was working as a labourer at the site in Krishna Puri. “We were informed about the labourer falling from the building at around 3pm. By the time a team reached the spot, the injured worker had already been rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was referred to Lok Nayak Hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” an officer aware of the matter said.

According to preliminary investigation, Bhola was carrying out construction work on the fourth floor when a portion of the roof projection suddenly gave way. “Work for installing the lift was underway. The collapse caused him to lose balance and fall to the ground, resulting in fatal injuries,” the officer said.

No safety gear was provided to the worker, an investigator said. Based on statement by Bhola’s co-worker, an FIR was registered against the owner of the building under sections 290 (negligent conduct with respect to building or machinery) and 125A (negligence to endanger human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The owner has been identified as a resident of Krishna Puri.

Officials said details of the incident have been shared with the MCD for further action. Acting on the police communication, the civic body ordered the building to be sealed, the officer said.

MCD spokesperson did not respond to HT’s request for a comment on the action taken. However, a senior MCD official said, “Whenever we issue a notice to stop the work in case of unauthorised construction, a communication is sent to local police to ensure that no further construction takes place.Sections 344(2) and 475 mandate that the police has to assist MCD officers in matters like halting unauthorised construction and maintaining municipal authority.”