Building collapse in Delhi's Daryaganj kills three workers
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI): Three workers were killed after a portion of a building that was being demolished collapsed near Sadbhavna Park in central Delhi's Daryaganj on Wednesday, officials said.
The deceased were identified as Zubair (24), his uncle Taufiq (32), and Gulsagar (30). As many as 15 people were working there when the incident occurred.
"Zubair and Taufiq were on the second floor when a portion of it collapsed. Gulsagar rushed in to save the duo, but he too got trapped underneath the debris as the rest of the portion came down," a senior police officer said.
All three were pulled out of the debris and taken to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
A security guard at the Sadbhavna Park said, "Around noon, we saw two workers on the second floor of the backside of the building falling after a portion of it collapsed."
"We rushed to save them and were just a few footsteps away when a worker came to help them. The rest of the workers had fled the front side of the building. As the third worker tried to save the duo, the rest of the structure collapsed, trapping them underneath the rubble," he told PTI.
The president of the Resident Welfare Association of Gali Haji Nasir, Ali Md Ashiqeen, told PTI that the demolition work has been going on for about 10 days.
"The wall of the park, which is already weak, was supporting the structure. These buildings are highly dangerous, and rain has further damaged them. Authorities should ascertain if anything is being done illegally and ensure that such unfortunate incidents do not recur," he said.
Since the wall of the Sadbhavna park, an ASI-protected site, has also been damaged, the Archaeological Survey of India has also been informed, the senior police officer added.
A case under BNS section 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) was registered against the building's owners, Nadeem and Yusuf Malik, builders Sunil Sharma and Hari Shankar, and contractor Galwan aur Gulfam.
"Information about the incident was received at 12.14 pm, following which a police team, four fire tenders and rescue officials rushed to the spot.
The injured were moved to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Civic authorities, including the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), were informed. Legal action will be taken after verification of facts," the police officer said.
A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said the building collapsed while construction activity was underway.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also joined the rescue operation soon after the incident, working alongside Delhi Police, fire brigade personnel and the DDMA staff. Heavy machinery was pressed into service to clear the rubble as rescuers combed through the debris.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
