Four more bodies have been retrieved from debris of a four-storey building that collapsed in Delhi’s Janta Mazdoor Colony on Saturday, taking the total death toll to six, officials said.
A 2-year-old girl is among those who succumbed to their injuries, while eight people have been wounded in the incident, news agency PTI reported.
According to the official, the bodies of the owner of the building, his wife, two sons and two others have been retrieved from the debris and sent to GTB hospital, the report added.
Those who have died have been identified as Matloob, 50, his wife Rabia, 46, and their two sons -- Javed, 23, and Abdulla, 15. Two more people who have died include 27-year-old Zubia and her two-year-old daughter Fozia.
Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the spot looking for people who might still be trapped under the debris of the collapsed building, the official added.
Out of the eight people who have been rescued so far, seven have been sent to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital and one to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment, said a senior police officer.
{{/usCountry}}Out of the eight people who have been rescued so far, seven have been sent to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital and one to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment, said a senior police officer.
{{/usCountry}}"Around 7.04 am on Saturday, we received information regarding the collapse of a four-storey building near Idgah, Welcome. When the police team reached the spot, they found that three storeys of the building had collapsed," he said
"So far, eight injured persons have been rescued -- seven have been shifted to JPC Hospital and one to GTB Hospital for treatment. All the listed missing persons have been rescued; however, the rescue operation is still ongoing," he added.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Sandeep Lamba, Matloob, the owner of the building, lived there with his family. During the collapse, the ground floor and first floor of the building were unoccupied and the building opposite to it also sustained some damage.
Eyewitness accounts
Asma, a resident of the area, described the moment the building collapsed in Janata Colony’s A block. “This is A block Janata Colony. It was about 7:45 am, I was resting on my cot and then suddenly heard a deafening sound... I came outside and saw a pall of dust all around. Everyone started shouting, crying. I don't know how many people were present here when it happened. They had 10 people in the family, I don't know how many of them are under the rubble,” she told PTI.
Among the people who sustained injuries during the collapse are Matloob’s two other sons- Parvez and Naved. Parvez’s wife Siza and their one-year-old son Ahmad were aso injured.
Some people who lived in the opposite building were also injured and are in hospital.
Anees Ahmad Ansari, who also sustained minor injuries, said, “As the building collapsed, the rubble hit our building, and I also got injured. Everyone, including locals, is busy trying to rescue the family. We hope that they are safe."
With PTI inputs.