The Hindu : Front Page : Seven killed in house collapse

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Monday, Feb 12, 2007
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Seven killed in house collapse

Devesh K. Pandey

Four-storey building caves in at Madipur in West Delhi due incessant downpour

RESCUE OPERATION:Firemen and residents rescue a man from the debris of the building that collapsed at Madipur in West Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.

NEW DELHI: Seven people, including one child, were killed and six injured when a four-storey building collapsed at Madipur in West Delhi following incessant downpour on Sunday. Rescue teams were continuing with their search for those feared trapped in the debris till late at night.

According to the police, the incident took place around 4-45 p.m. when the building located at F-225, J.J. Colony in Madipur suddenly went crashing down. Residents, who immediately launched a relief operation, informed the police and the fire department. Thereafter over dozen fire tenders rushed to the spot and firemen with the help of three earth excavators began pulling the victims out of the debris. The rescue teams with the help of the residents removed as many as 13 people to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and Balaji Health Care Institute, where six were declared dead on arrival. One more person succumbed to the injuries later. The condition of three of the injured was stated to be critical.

Among the dead was the owner of the building, Pratap Singh. The police said the building was located in an unauthorised and densely populated area and preliminary enquiries revealed that Pratap lived in the building along with his wife, three children and some relatives. Besides, there were some shops on the ground floor whose occupants were also trapped when the building caved in.

Though no case has been registered so far, the Punjabi Bagh police have initiated investigations into the mishap to fix the responsibility. The incident assumes significance as it has come in the backdrop of the notification of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 on February 7 that allowed a number of relaxations and concessions to structures that have come up in violation of the existing laws. Moreover, the Union Cabinet had on Thursday approved the regularisation of 1,500 unauthorised colonies that had come up on both private and Government land and where too building safety norms had not been adhered to during the construction.

Following the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 1 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 20,000 to the injured.

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