Two fatalities confirmed following Old Delhi under-construction property disaster

Structural failure at an unoccupied property in Gali Sitara left two people dead on Thursday morning. Rescue teams rushed to the site near Chawri Bazaar Metro station shortly before 10:00 am after the three-storey skeleton gave way. One additional person suffered injuries, and emergency responders fear several other workers remain buried under the heavy debris. Only construction personnel were present when the concrete structure crashed. Mohd Nayeem, a local resident, recalled waking up to a loud sound around 9:30 am and rushing outside, initially fearing his own residence was in danger. He soon noticed the adjacent site had completely fallen apart. The property had been undergoing development for the past four months, while the owner lived elsewhere in a rented home.

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Navigating narrow lanes

Emergency personnel deployed at least six specialized fire and rescue units to the incident spot. However, parked cars inside Old Delhi's historically tight alleys significantly slowed their progress. Locals quickly moved their vehicles to clear paths for approaching ambulances, forcing responders to carry heavy equipment on foot over the final stretch to reach the victims. Frequent structural disasters continue to plague the national capital's older neighborhoods. Just days prior, two men died in northeast Delhi's Milan Garden when roof slabs failed during a residential floor addition. Earlier in October, a separate tragedy in Seemapuri killed three people, including a child. In response to these recurring events, political leaders have strongly criticized the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, questioning the validity of recent structural safety audits ordered by Mayor Rekha Gupta.