A four-storey building in Delhi’s Seemapuri area collapsed on Wednesday morning, leaving several people feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations began. Besides, the entire two to three houses adjacent to it also got buried under the rubble.
Delhi Fire Service (DFS) got information about the incident at around 3:30 pm and rushed to the spot fire tenders. Delhi Police, civic authorities, and civil defence personnel also reached the spot and started rescue operations.
Two To Three People Feared Trapped in Delhi Building Collapse
“Some people have been rescued and shifted to the hospital; some are feared trapped under the debris,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said.
“There is a four-storey building of 225 sq ft. Some people have been rescued and shifted to the hospitals, but we suspect that two to three people are still trapped under the debris. They are talking… rescue operation is going on,” he added.
Authorities are yet to ascertain how many people are trapped in the building which has partially collapsed. Till then, the search and rescue operations are going on.
People Also Helped in Rescue Operations
Besides the police and civic authorities, the local people also helped in rescue operations.
“Around four to five people have been rescued by the people and shifted to the hospital. There is a child trapped and some people have been rescued by people and shifted to the hospitals,” a local resident said. “I gave CPR to one of the rescued people.”
Authorities are still trying to reach out to the people who might be trapped in the building.
Cause Of the Accident Yet to Be Ascertained
“The building had cracks from the tremors which occurred in Delhi-NCR after the earthquake in Uttarakhand on Tuesday night,” a resident said.
But the authorities have not yet confirmed whether the earthquake had triggered the collapse of the building or not.
“The reason for the collapse of the building has yet to be ascertained. It will be done after a detailed survey of the site,” authorities said.
They have started with inspecting the collapsed building and the ones adjacent to it.
Traffic Advisory Issued in The Area
Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory to the commuters asking them to avoid the Seemapuri area as traffic jams were reported near Seemapuri Gol Chakkar, DLF Bhopura, and the surrounding areas.
“The traffic police have also appealed to the general public not to stop or park their vehicles on the roads surrounding the accident spot. It will hamper the movement of ambulances, fire tenders, and other emergency services. It will also cause traffic congestion,” authorities said.
Meanwhile, the rescue operations are still ongoing. More updates are awaited.