New Delhi: Two days after a four-story building collapsed in north Delhi’s Seemapuri, claiming at least five lives, including two children, action was taken against illegal constructions in the area on Friday.
The demolition drive was carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), on the orders of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, against those constructions which were built in violation of government guidelines.
The action was part of a drive against unauthorised constructions in the area.
Speaking to IANS, DCP, Shahdara District, Rajendra Prasad Meena said: “A nearby building had already been declared dangerous. When the building collapsed, a portion of it struck the neighbouring building and fell, damaging its balcony and walls. The MCD issued a notice to the owner today and gave two hours for its complete demolition…we have provided police security to facilitate the operation.”
He added that a case has been registered in connection with Wednesday’s incident, and that a search is underway for the owner of the collapsed building.
“The owner is currently absconding,” the police officer said.
Meanwhile, those who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday have been identified as a 12-year-old girl, 21-year-old Gulafsa, who was around four months pregnant, a child aged around one-and-a-half years, and two others named Nusrat alias Guria and Hajra Bibi, officials said.
Eight people injured in the collapse were rescued and shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur for treatment.
DCP Meena further said that a rescue operation at the site had concluded by 2 p.m. on Thursday.
The building collapse in Seemapuri occurred a month after a similar incident in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area claimed seven lives, including that of five students.
The building in Satya Niketan housed a paying guest accommodation and mostly had students enrolled at Delhi University.
Following the tragedy, the MCD had then initiated demolition of “dilapidated” buildings in various parts of the national capital, as part of a drive to identify unauthorised and unsafe structures.
(IANS)
