Building collapses in Model Town in Delhi, 1 labourer killed

One person died and two others were injured after getting trapped in the rubble of a dilapidated two-storey banquet hall that collapsed during heavy rains in Model Town, north Delhi, on Saturday, officials said.
Jaipal, Vishal and Pawan (single names), all labourers, were involved in demolishing the building when the incident occurred at Mahendru Enclave area on Saturday afternoon.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) were deployed to carry out the search and rescue operation. DFS director Atul Garg said they received the information regarding the incident around 3pm after which three to four fire tenders were deployed.
While the teams managed to rescue the three people and send them for treatment, 23-year-old Vishal succumbed to his injuries.
“At around 6:00PM in the evening an old building in Mahendru Enclave collapsed today. Two persons were buried in the rubble both were pulled out , one passed away in hospital. NDRF is at site for rescue operations to see if someone else is buried. The building was an old one where demolition activity was going on. That activity made the building dangerous. MCD has asked department concerned to survey adjacent buildings to ascertain if the collapse affected them,” the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said in a statement.
According to police, the banquet hall used to operate in the two-storey building measuring about four hundred square yards.
However, for the past few years, the building had been empty and in a dilapidated condition. “Due to the situation, the owner of the building had called three labourers to demolish it. All three were engaged in demolishing the building for a month,” said a police officer aware of the matter.
Officials said that after heavy downpour, a small part of the building collapsed first. Only a few seconds later, the remaining building came crashing down, damaging some vehicles parked near it.
“The three labourers got buried under the debris. Three cars and four bikes parked nearby were also damaged. Meanwhile, some people informed police,” the officer said.
A team of NDRF and around 30 fire department officials pulled out Jaipal, Vishal and Pawan from the debris, and they were admitted to a hospital. An NDRF team examined the spot with the help of a dog squad and equipment.
Police have initiated legal action, and the owner of the building will be questioned in this connection, officers said.