New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) A day after a six-decade-old building housing 50 people collapsed in Old Delhi, two more people succumbed to injuries Wednesday, taking the toll to seven, police said. Some 25 people are injured, three of them critically.
‘Two more people have died in the accident and the toll has risen to seven,’ said Joint Commissioner of Police Sudhir Yadav.
Amaan, a five-year-old boy, was rescued from the debris of the three-storey building and nobody else was found. The Katra Data Ram Ki Haveli in Chandni Mahal area near Jama Masjid came crashing at around 8 p.m. Tuesday, said police officers.
Apart from two unidentified people, the deceased include 40-year-old Arshad, four women — Tabassum, 18, Shauqat Bi, 65, Fatima, 65, and Munni Devi, 70 — who were declared brought dead at the Lok Nayak Hospital.
According to doctors, three patients continue to be critical and are being monitored constantly. ‘Rafiulla (60), Shoaib (25), and Mohammed Mushtaq (40) are critical. They have received fractures,’ said a doctor.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the owner and the builder, who was carrying out construction activities in Katra Data Ram Ki Haveli.
‘We have registered a case against Anil Sharma, who is the owner, and Haji Jalaluddin, the builder,’ said Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who visited the site Wednesday, announced a Rs.2 lakh compensation of the kin of each of the deceased.
‘… In case of death of a minor person, an amount of Rs.1 lakh will be granted,’ said Dikshit
‘In case of a serious injury, an amount of Rs.50,000 will be granted as assistance. An amount of Rs.1 lakh will be released as financial assistance in case of orphan,’ she added.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation Delhi (MCD) said an inquiry will be conducted in the matter.
‘The deputy commissioner of the city zone will conduct the inquiry. The preliminary report will be submitted to the MCD commissioner by Wednesday evening,’ MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur told IANS.
Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who represents the Chandni Chownk constituency, visited the injured at the hospital. The Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, also visited the hospital.
The building collapsed due to digging work in an adjacent under-construction house in the complex, fire officials said.
