Two dead as five-storey residential building caves in at Delhi's Seemapuri

Two people died and eight others sustained injuries after a five-storey residential building collapsed in Delhi's Seemapuri area on Wednesday afternoon.

What Happened

The structure, built on a plot of about 25 square yards, gave way around 3:30 pm, partially damaging two neighboring buildings. Delhi Fire Services rushed four fire tenders to the site, launching joint rescue operations alongside the National Disaster Response Force. Eight people, including a three-year-old child, were rescued from the debris and admitted to the GTB Hospital emergency department, which is currently functioning at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital campus. Some residents remain feared trapped underneath the rubble. An NDRF official stated that removing heavy fallen blocks of roofs using cranes is posing a major challenge to rescue teams. Local residents shared harrowing accounts, with one woman named Sameena reporting that her 21-year-old pregnant sister Gulfisha called from beneath the debris alongside her four-year-old daughter.

Context

This incident follows a previous tragedy in Delhi's Satya Niketan on September 6, where a boys paying guest accommodation collapsed and killed seven people. Following that earlier disaster, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi stepped up enforcement actions against dangerous and unauthorized buildings, including demolition drives in Old Seemapuri.