Police said the building is about 50 years old, and that the FIR has been filed against unknown persons while documents are examined to ascertain the building owner. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Tragedy struck a family living in Central Delhi’s Farash Khana when a building collapsed, killing a four-year-old girl who was walking past with her father on Sunday evening. The incident also left two senior citizens dead and injured 10 others. The building, containing shops and residences, had collapsed amid heavy rain.
The victims have been identified as Khusi (4), Suleman (74) and Shagufta (70). Several family members of the elderly victims were also among those injured in the collapse.
Khusi’s family was devastated by her loss with her uncle Bhim Singh saying, “My cousin Sukhbir has lost his only daughter… our family has been badly affected. My son, Raj, was also stuck under the rubble… but we managed to pull him out quickly.”
Sukhbir’s brother Ravi Chawaria added, “Khusi was the first girl in our family in a very long time. Among us seven brothers, only he (Sukhbir) had a daughter. We were planning to celebrate her birthday next month.”
The family’s home was also affected in the incident, with a scooter and television set smashed by falling rubble which also damaged the exterior. Sukhbir, who also has a younger son, reportedly sustained a severe leg injury.
Bhim Singh added, “We are all members of the Valmiki community living here and we are mostly employed as safai karamcharis by the MCD… we are not well off. It is hard to deal with such incidents.”
(Express Photo by Praveen Khanna) A shopkeeper nearby had a narrow escape. Mohammad Yasin, who ran a pump store, said, “I locked up the shop after work and left just two minutes before the building collapsed… all my goods have been smashed.”
Police said the building is about 50 years old, and that the FIR has been filed against unknown persons while documents are examined to ascertain the building owner.
A senior officer at the Hauz Qazi station said, “An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life/personal safety), 337 (causing hurt by act…etc.), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act…etc) and 304A (death by negligence). Further investigation is being done into other aspects of the matter.”
Meanwhile, rescue teams, including from the NDRF and the DFS, had to deal with the rain and narrow lanes of the area. Sources with the BSES said that two electricity poles were also damaged and were switched off, later being reactivated with permission from authorities. Trucks were engaged in removing rubble from the site well into Monday afternoon.
DFS Chief Atul Garg said, “A call regarding the incident was received around 7.30 p.m… and five fire tenders were sent to the spot. Rescue operations continued until about 2 am on Monday.”