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Eyewitnesses recount horror as four-storey building collapses in Delhi
At least two persons are reported killed while the number of people trapped under the rubble is being assessed, police said
A ground-plus-three building collapsed in Delhi’s Welcome area on Saturday morning, killing at least two persons and injuring another eight.
The incident happened around 7 AM in Block A of Janta Mazdoor Colony of Welcome police station area. The fire department personnel reached the spot and are carrying out search and rescue operations with the help of local residents of the area. According to Delhi Fire Services, two people have been killed in the collapse, while eight people have been injured.
According to an ANI report, 3-4 people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. Several more are feared trapped.
Eyewitnesses recounted the moment they heard a deafening sound of the building coming down. Dust flew around after that amid confusion over how many people were trapped.
"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 and crying," Asma, a local resident, told news agency PTI.
“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 added.
Another eyewitness named Anees Ahmad Ansari said that his house was damaged when the debris fell.
"Everyone was sleeping, when at around 7 AM, the building collapsed on one side of my house, and its debris crashed into my house. Suddenly, there was a blackout. 4-5 people are still trapped in the debris of the collapsed building. Everyone is involved in the rescue operations," he told ANI.
Number of trapped people being assessed
Speaking to reporters, Additional DCP of North East Delhi, Sandeep Lamba, said rescue operations are ongoing and the exact number of people trapped is still being assessed.
“Seven people have been rescued. The fire brigade and police team are working. NDRF team is also here,” he said.
Another building had collapsed near Pul Mithai in North Delhi's Lohia Chowk area around the early hours of Friday, killing one person.
The collapsed building, located at Tokri Walan in Pul Mithai near Bara Hindu Rao, had three shops on the ground floor and godowns on the first floor. The shops were part of the Azad Market area and dealt in bags and canvas cloth.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh for the family of the deceased. The structure was located within the influence zone of the ongoing tunnelling work for the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg corridor of the Delhi Metro.
