Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Rescue ops underway, locals say building was under construction

The incident comes amid the peak festive season rush, with Diwali just around the corner. Wholesale markets such as Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar and Lajpat Nagar see massive footfall of shoppers during this time. Meanwhile, a more than 160-year-old Town Hall -- a Grade-I protected heritage building owned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) -- also collapsed in Chandni Chowk, HT reported on Wednesday.

In the incident, the facade, first floor, roof, walls of the main entrance porch and the clock mounted above it were left collapsed. Last month, four people, including two children, were killed after a five-storey residential building collapsed in the capital's Seemapuri area.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Saqib Shah, who lives next to the collapsed building, told HT that just four to five days ago he had told his wife that the building would fall. He said the construction was happening very quickly, adding that the lanter wasn't allowed to dry properly.

"Just four-five days before I told my wife that this building would fall. The construction was happening so quickly that they weren’t letting the lanter dry up properly. The rescue team arrived about an hour after the incident.

However, before that, the contractor had taken a few workers in an auto to the hospital," Shah said. Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: In response to the building collapse, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta has ordered the immediate suspension of the concerned Junior Engineer and Assistant Engineer, a thorough inquiry into the incident, and the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the contractor She has also issued strict directions to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured and immediate ex-gratia assistance to the affected families.

Additionally, the CM has also said that stringent action will be taken against those found responsible, in accordance with the law. Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Rohit Rajbir Singh, DCP (Central District), told reporters that the under-construction building had been built up to the third floor, with further construction underway.

"The building reportedly collapsed while the concrete slab was being laid. A major portion of the building has caved in, and people living in the neighbouring buildings have been evacuated," news agency PTI quoted Singh as saying.

He further stated the building adjacent to the collapsed structure is also in a "precarious condition," adding that the debris is moved towards that side. "So far, three people have been rescued from the debris, with significant assistance from the NDRF team.

Fire department personnel and MCD officials have also reached the spot. Of the three rescued, two were declared dead at the hospital, while one sustained injuries but is out of danger," he added. According to DCP Singh, only these three casualties have been confirmed so far.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: “The building had been under construction for the past two months, and work was underway on the lanter of the third floor. It collapsed at around 9:30 am, while approximately seven to eight labourers were working at the site.

For nearly half an hour after the collapse, I could hear them screaming for help, but then, all of a sudden, the screams stopped and everything went silent. Locals were hesitant to come forward to help because three newly constructed buildings stood nearby, and we feared those structures might also collapse,” said a 42-year-old who lives just a few steps away from the building.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Last month, four people, including two children, died after a five-storey residential building collapsed in Delhi's Seemapuri area. Eight others were injured in the incident. The latest collapse in Chawri Bazaar has once again raised concerns over building safety in the national capital.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: A local resident, Mohd Nayeem, said he woke up after hearing a loud crashing sound and rushed outside, initially fearing that his own house had collapsed. "This happened around 9:00 or 9:30.

We were asleep when we heard a crashing sound. We all got up and rushed outside. We thought our own house was collapsing. When we checked, we realized it was the house being built next door," he told news agency ANI. Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Rescue and relief operations are underway on a war footing after an under-construction building collapsed in Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi.

The Directorate of Information & Publicity, Government of NCT of Delhi, said on X that teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, MCD, CATS and NDRF were immediately deployed to the site. "Every possible effort is being made to safely evacuate those trapped under the debris and provide prompt medical assistance to the injured," the department said.

Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked the Rekha Gupta government and raised questions over building safety audits and alleged corruption in enforcement by civic and other government departments in Delhi.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj wrote, “Another 3-storey building collapses at Chawri Bazaar/Chandni Chowk. Many feared trapped under debris. Rekha Gupta’s government and MCD conducted multiple safety audits of all buildings in Delhi, yet buildings keep collapsing.

Why?" he said. Chawri Bazar building collapse LIVE: As search and rescue operations are underway, Mohd Altaf, a local, told news agency PTI that his house is just outside the lane where a building in Chawri Bazar. He said that no damage was caused to the other buildings in the vicinity.