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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Meghalaya: Interstate ATM theft racket busted, 6 arrested
Shillong (PTI): An interstate racket involved in ATM thefts across several states has been busted, with the arrest of six persons in connection with a break-in at an electronic banking outlet in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused were allegedly involved in breaking into an ATM of the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank on April 5, 2024, they said.
Three of the accused were arrested from Barpeta in Assam, while the remaining were apprehended from Haryana, police said.
Ri-Bhoi SP Giri Prasad M said a special police team was constituted to investigate the case.
"With coordinated efforts and assistance from Assam and Haryana Police, we were able to apprehend the accused involved in the ATM break-in," he told PTI.
The case was registered at Umiam police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police, the gang used gas cutters to break open the ATM safe and fled with the cash within minutes.
"The group is part of a larger network involved in similar ATM thefts across different states. Further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire network," the SP added.
