The Seemapuri building collapse in east Delhi has killed five people, damaged adjoining structures and prompted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to begin clearing debris before carefully dismantling affected portions of nearby buildings, officials said on Thursday.
The four-storey building collapsed onto the road in the densely populated locality, affecting residents and passersby. The death toll rose to five after two more bodies were recovered during debris-clearing operations, officials said. Nine people were rescued from the site.
Amit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of the MCD’s Shahdara North Zone, said adjoining buildings had suffered partial damage in the collapse. The civic body was first removing the debris and would then demolish the damaged portions, he said.
“Due to the collapse, nearby buildings have also suffered partial damage. We are currently clearing the debris and will then demolish the damaged portions. The structures will be dismantled gradually to ensure that surrounding buildings are not affected,” Kumar said.
The operation is being conducted cautiously because of the congested nature of the area, where buildings stand on small plots and are closely packed together. Officials said debris-clearing work was expected to be completed by Friday.
Pankaj Luthra, chairman of the MCD’s Shahdara North Zone, said he reached the site at around 4 pm after receiving information about the incident and remained there until midnight. He said a woman and two children were among those who died, while two additional bodies were recovered between 4 am and 5 am after he left the site.
North-East Delhi District Magistrate Ajay Kumar said an adjoining building had been undergoing demolition for the previous three to four days using vibrating machinery. He said the small plots and thin walls in the area meant that buildings often supported one another.
“It appears that the failure of one structure may have triggered the collapse, but the exact cause will be established in the magisterial inquiry,” the district magistrate said.
The sequence described by officials has placed the safety of adjoining structures at the centre of the emergency response. The MCD’s decision to clear the collapsed building’s debris before dismantling damaged sections is intended to reduce the risk of affecting surrounding buildings during the operation.
AAP MLA Veer Singh Dhingan claimed that local residents had reported seven to eight deaths and demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for each deceased person. The official death toll provided by authorities stood at five after the recovery of the two additional bodies.
The magisterial inquiry will determine the exact cause of the collapse, including the role, if any, of demolition activity at the adjoining property. Until then, the civic body’s immediate steps remain debris removal and the controlled dismantling of damaged portions around the site.
