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 with her three-year-old daughter. She reportedly remained alive for some time and called her father and sister for help before rescue workers could reach her.
The collapse occurred in E-Block, Seemapuri, while Gulafshan was standing outside a house in the area. According to a report by Jagran, the building suddenly turned into rubble and caught her in the debris. Her three-year-old daughter was also with her at the time of the incident, although the report does not provide further details about the child’s condition.
Gulafshan called her sister Sabina and her father repeatedly from beneath the debris. She told them that she was alive and was having difficulty breathing, and asked them to get her out quickly. Sabina reportedly showed rescue personnel the call log as evidence that Gulafshan was still alive and told them that her sister was pregnant and accompanied by a small child.
The family’s appeals continued as rescue workers searched the collapsed structure. By the time Gulafshan was reached and brought out, she had died, according to the report. Her visit to her mother, described as a routine family meeting, became her final interaction with her.
The incident also involved another resident, identified as 56-year-old Hazra. Her daughter Hasina repeatedly appealed to personnel at the security cordon to allow her to move closer to the debris, saying that her mother was trapped beneath it. Hasina said her mother lived in a house behind the collapsed building and had been walking through the lane when the structure fell.
The report identifies the building as dilapidated but does not provide details about its ownership, occupancy status, prior structural notices, the number of people inside, or the action taken by civic authorities before the collapse. It also does not state the final status of Hazra or provide a complete casualty count.
The collapse has placed the focus on the immediate safety of residents living around ageing and structurally weak buildings in densely occupied Delhi neighbourhoods. The next official steps, including the final rescue assessment, casualty verification, structural inspection of adjoining properties and any action against those responsible for maintaining the building, remain to be established by the authorities.
