10 killed in Delhi building collapse

Ten people, including five children and two women, were killed and two injured when a four-storey building collapsed here Saturday morning, an official said.

The building collapsed at about 9 a.m. in north Delhi's Inderlok area.

"Ten people have been killed in the incident. Rescue operation is still on but all the people have been brought out," Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told IANS.

North Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) mayor Yogender Chandolia told IANS that poor quality material used to build the house weakened its base and it collapsed due to ongoing construction on an adjacent plot.

"The NDMC has provided an excavator to remove the debris in addition to four fire tenders sent by the fire department," he added.

All the injured were rushed to Bara Hindu Rao and Acharya Shree Bhikshu hospitals.

Seven people, belonging to two separate families, residing on the third and fourth floors of the building died in the collapse while three relatives living on the second floor also lost their lives in the tragedy.

From one family, Rubina, 30, her two sons -- Aashif, 10, and Rehan, 7 -- and a daughter Aadiba, 14, died while her husband Abdul Rashid, 38, was injured.

In the second family, Sahana, 28, lost her life along with her son Abdul Aadil, 7, and daughter Saba, 5, while her husband Mohammad Naim, 39, was hurt.

An MBA student from Darbhanga in Bihar -- Mohammad Ezaz, 24 -- who resided on the second floor, his room partner and relative Imtiyaz Ali, 24, and his cousin Mohammad Uzale, 22, also died.

Two other people Pappu and Tanveer, who stayed on the first floor of the house, were not present when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, NDMC Commissioner Praveen Gupta ordered the suspension of the area assistant engineer and junior engineer.

"An additional commissioner (engineering) has been deputed to conduct a probe and submit the report of the incident in seven days," said an NDMC official. - IANS