Chawri Bazar building collapse: 2 dead as under-construction block caves in

A three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar on Thursday morning (5 November), killing two people and injuring at least one other. The incident was reported around 9:50 am from Gali Sitara, near the Chawri Bazar Metro station, as Diwali shoppers crowded the wholesale markets nearby.

DCP (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said the building had been built up to the third floor, with work continuing above that. “During the pouring of the slab, the building collapsed,” he told reporters, according to ANI. Neighbouring residents were evacuated, he said, and the building next door was also in a “precarious condition”.

“So far, three people have been rescued with the help of the NDRF team… Out of three rescued persons, two have been declared dead at the hospital, and one is injured but out of danger,” Singh said. About 10–15 labourers were present when it happened, he added, and there was a possibility more workers had been on site.

Singh also said the construction was unauthorised and that Delhi Police had already written to municipal agencies about it, but work had not been stopped. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi later suspended Assistant Engineer (Building) Mohd. Naeem and Junior Engineer (Building) Aman Dalal with immediate effect, ANI reported, citing the Old Delhi Zone deputy commissioner.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site and ordered an FIR against the contractor, a probe into the collapse, and ex-gratia help for affected families. Mayor Parvesh Wahi said responsibility “also lies with property owners” and that FIRs had been registered against those openly violating rules. Party politics around the accident is still unfolding; the core facts for now are the deaths, the rescue, and the civic action already announced.