Ghaziabad building collapse: 6-yr-old boy’s body recovered, toll rises to 2

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was trying to retrieve about others feared trapped in the debris.

Rescue teams on Monday recovered the body of a boy aged around six years from the debris of a building that collapsed in Ghaziabad a day earlier.

National Disaster Response Force carry out rescue operation after an under-construction building collapsed in Ghaziabad. (Sakib Ali /HT)

A 35-year-old construction worker, Rajesh, was killed in the collapse at Akash Nagar on Sunday afternoon and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was trying to retrieve others feared trapped in the debris.

District’s chief medical officer Dr NK Gupta confirmed the death of Sagar (6).

“He was a minor boy aged around six years. He was brought dead after being retrieved from the debris. One person had already died on Sunday. In all, we have two persons dead so far,” he said.

Eight injured persons were rescued, of which three were referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi. “Others are still under treatment in Ghaziabad hospital,” he added.

Police have lodged an FIR on a complaint by an engineer of the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA).

The five-storeyed building at Akash Nagar was illegally constructed and was due for demolition since December 2017. However, the next date of demolition was set on July 30.

The building collapsed around 2.15pm on Sunday.

GDA vice-chairperson Ritu Maheshwari attributed the delay to the lack of sufficient police aid for the demolition drive.

However, police said the GDA did not ask for the forces. “We provide forces to different departments as and when available. The GDA had been carrying on the procedure for demolition of the building for the past several months. If the police force is not available on a certain date, they could have asked for it on next available days. They never did so,” said AK Maurya, superintendent of police (rural).

Following the collapse, GDA officials late on Sunday night sent a complaint to the police, who registered an FIR under IPC sections of 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings) besides imposing provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

Police have booked Kishanpal Tomar, Mukesh Singh, Dinesh Kumar and an unidentified person in the FIR lodged at Masuri police station.

“The FIR has been lodged against the persons who were getting the building constructed and also the land owner,” said Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police.