A five-storey dilapidated building collapsed in Delhi’s Seemapuri on Thursday, killing Gulafshan, a four-month pregnant woman who was trapped under the debris while visiting her mother. She reportedly remained alive for some time and called her father and sister for help before rescue workers could reach her.
The collapse took place in E-Block of Seemapuri while Gulafshan was outside the building with her three-year-old daughter. She had gone to meet her mother, who lived in D-Block, when the building suddenly turned into rubble and caught her in the collapse.
According to the report, Gulafshan called her sister Sabina and her father from beneath the debris. She told them that she was alive and was having difficulty breathing, and repeatedly asked them to rescue her. Sabina showed the call records to rescue personnel and urged them to act quickly, saying that Gulafshan was pregnant and had a young daughter with her.
The report said Gulafshan was four months pregnant. However, she died before rescue workers could remove her from the debris. Her visit to her mother, the report said, became her last meeting with her family.
The collapse also trapped 56-year-old Hazra, according to the account. Hazra’s daughter Hasina appealed to personnel stationed around the security cordon to allow her to move closer to the site. She said her mother lived in a house behind the collapsed building and had been walking through the lane when the structure fell.
The account describes family members waiting outside the debris and seeking urgent assistance from the rescue personnel. Sabina continued asking workers to save her sister, while Hasina appealed for help locating her mother beneath the rubble.
The report did not provide details of the building’s ownership, the authority responsible for its inspection, the number of people inside at the time of the collapse, or any action taken against those responsible for maintaining the structure. It also did not state whether a formal inquiry had been ordered or provide an official account of the rescue operation.
Further details from the authorities on the rescue response, the condition of the collapsed building and the next steps in the investigation remain awaited.
