New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Four persons, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed while two persons suffered injuries after a four-storey building collapsed on Friday in New Delhi's Bawana area, police officials said.
The deceased were identified as Rukaiya Khatoon, Shahzaad, Afreen and Danish, all residents of J.J. Colony while two women -- identified as Fatima and Shahnaaz, were rescued and sent to the hospital. "Both of them are out of danger," a police official said.
Delhi Fire Services Chief, Atul Garg told IANS that they received information about the incident at 2.48 p.m. following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
The police were also informed by the locals at the same time and the outer north district police immediately reached the specified location.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer north), Brijender Kumar Yadav said the collapsed building is the part of Rajiv Ratan Aawas Yojana in which there are nearly 300 to 400 flats.
"Immediately three JCBs, one Hydra and two ambulances reached there and the rescue operation was started," Yadav told IANS.
He informed that four dead bodies were recovered from the debris which included two females. "They have been sent to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial hospital for post-mortem," the DCP added.
The rescue operation ended after three JCBs worked for more than four hours to clear the debris and rescue the people trapped.
Notably, Friday's accident was the second major building collapse incident reported in the past five months in the national capital. Nearly five months ago, on September 13, 2021, a three-storey old building collapsed in the Sabzi Mandi area of North Delhi that claimed the lives of two children.
In Friday's incident as well, the building was old and in a dilapidated condition. The police were yet to register an FIR in the incident.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daljit Singh Dhillon was produced before the Mohali court after he was arrested from Jalandhar by the crime cell of Punjab Police, AIG Crime Rakesh Kaushal said.
Jolted by the public outcry over a spate of drug overdose deaths in the state, the Punjab Cabinet, that met under Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday, decided to recommend to the Union Government death penalty for drug peddlers at the first instance.
Punjab Congress secretary Jagsir Singh allegedly murdered his brother over a property dispute at Mangewala village in the district on Monday, the police said. The deceased was identified as Jasvir Singh (42).
The incident dates back to March 2017 when the two Israeli national visited India on a tourist visa and stayed in a hotel in Colaba area of South Mumbai.
