Photo: IANS
The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction four-storey building in northwest Delhi's Rohini rose to three on Thursday after rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the debris, officials said.
The rescue operation, which began after the building collapsed during heavy rain on Wednesday evening, has now concluded. According to officials, five people were pulled out from the rubble, including three rescued by personnel of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS).
A DFS official said that two of the three people rescued by the fire service later died, while the third sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital. Before emergency responders reached the site, local residents had rescued another individual, who was later declared dead at a hospital, The New Indian Express reported.
The official added that although the rescue operation had been completed, DFS personnel remained at the site.
The building collapsed at around 4.20 p.m. on Wednesday at properties G-4/152 and G-4/153 near an MCD school in Sector 16, Rohini.
Personnel from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Revenue Department and other agencies carried out the rescue operation, using heavy machinery to remove the debris.
According to the MCD's preliminary assessment, plumbing work was underway inside the building when it collapsed. The civic body said initial findings suggested that drilling or cutting of structural components, including beams and columns, may have contributed to the incident.
The MCD said the exact cause of the collapse would be determined only after a detailed technical examination.
Police said a comprehensive investigation had been initiated to examine whether the construction complied with sanctioned building plans, assess the quality of the construction, identify any structural alterations, and determine the responsibility of those associated with the project.