One dead as commercial building collapses in Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar

A 44-year-old man lost his life after a three-storey commercial building collapsed in the Mithai Pul area of Sadar Bazaar in the early hours of Friday, officials from the Delhi Fire Service said.

The deceased, identified as Manoj Sharma, 46, was an employee at a shop located in the building. He was trapped under the rubble and was rescued by fire brigade personnel, but was declared dead on arrival at Hindu Rao Hospital, officials added.

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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to Sharma’s next of kin.

According to the Delhi Police, the site of the collapse falls within the zone of ongoing tunnelling work for Janakpuri West–RK Ashram Marg corridor of the Delhi Metro.

In an official statement, the DMRC said, “The buildings had already been identified as unsafe prior to the commencement of tunnelling work in the area and had been evacuated by DMRC.”

The statement further noted, “A letter requesting evacuation of the buildings was issued to the building owners on June 12. It was clearly communicated that these structures were in an extremely dilapidated condition, and therefore, evacuation was necessary as a precautionary measure. Accordingly, the buildings were evacuated.”

Officials said that debris removal operations were launched immediately in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Delhi Police. The area has since been properly barricaded.

A truck parked in front of the collapsed building was severely damaged. However, no additional injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Police have registered a case under Sections 106(1) (causing death by negligence) and 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing, or constructing buildings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation is underway.