1 labourer killed, 3 injured as portion of building collapses in Delhi's Karol Bagh

Building owners hired a contractor without securing mandatory demolition permission before the structure suddenly collapsed, trapping several labourers beneath the debris.

In Short

• Collapse happened around noon in Delhi's Karol Bagh area on Friday
• Building owners allegedly lacked required permission for demolition work
• Owners and contractor detained as investigation into collapse continues

A labourer was killed and three others were injured after a two-storey building collapsed during demolition work in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area around noon on Friday, police said. The incident took place on Pyare Lal Road in Regarpura, where workers were engaged by a private contractor to pull down an old structure.

According to police, the building owners had engaged the contractor for the demolition but had not obtained the required permission from the concerned agency.

The structure suddenly gave way while the labourers were working, leaving several of them trapped under the debris.

Local residents alerted the authorities following the collapse. Police and Delhi Fire Service personnel reached the spot and began rescue operations. The injured workers were pulled out from the debris and shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

One of the labourers, Sheikh Shamshad, sustained critical injuries in the collapse and later died. His body was subsequently shifted to the mortuary at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) Hospital for further proceedings.

Another worker, Mohammad Ayub, suffered a head injury and a fracture to his right hand. After receiving initial treatment, he was referred to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where his condition was reported to be critical.

Police said Sheikh Saidul suffered injuries to his limbs and was admitted to Jeevan Mala Hospital. Another labourer, identified as Rafik-Ul, sustained minor injuries in the incident.

The collapse raised questions over the safety arrangements and permissions for the demolition work.

Police said the owners of the building and the contractor responsible for carrying out the work have been detained for questioning as part of the preliminary investigation.

Officials are now examining the circumstances surrounding the collapse and verifying whether mandatory permissions and safety requirements were followed before the demolition began.

The authorities are also assessing the precise sequence of events that caused the structure to come down.

Police said they are "initiating further legal action under appropriate provisions, verifying the facts and assessing the circumstances that led to the building collapse."

Further investigation is underway, with authorities likely to determine responsibility after examining the available evidence and questioning those involved in the demolition work.

- Ends
With inputs by Anand and Bharat