At least two people were killed, and two were injured after an “unauthorised” three-storey building under construction collapsed in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar on Thursday (November 5, 2026) morning, trapping several construction workers under the debris. Rescue operations continued till Thursday (November 5, 2026) night, with personnel clearing the rubble layer by layer amid fears that more people could still be trapped.
According to DCP (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh, around 10–15 construction workers were present at the site when the building collapsed. While six to seven workers had been accounted for, efforts were continuing to trace the others. Sniffer dogs were also deployed to detect any signs of life beneath the debris, but the exercise did not yield any results, he said.
A preliminary investigation suggests that construction had been underway for around six months on a plot measuring approximately 70 square yards. The building collapsed while the roof slab of the third floor was being laid, after the supporting pillars allegedly failed to bear the load, the officer said.
The deceased were identified as Kishori, 40, and Sanjeet, 45, both residents of Railway Colony in Mandawali. The injured, Sahdev Chaudhary, 25, and Firoz, 37, also belong to the same locality.
The Delhi Police registered a case against the building owner and the contractor under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and initiated a probe.
Rajesh Shukla, Assistant Divisional Officer, Delhi Fire Service, who was overseeing the operation, said the absence of reliable information about the number of workers at the site had made it difficult to establish how many people remained trapped.
“We have not received any clear inputs on the number of people who were inside the building. The plot is barely 80–100 square yards, but labourers employed by different contractors were working there, which is surprising. We have not been able to identify all of them,” he said.
The Delhi Fire Service said it received a call about the collapse at 9.50 a.m. Four people had already been rescued by local residents and taken to hospital before fire personnel reached the spot. At least six fire units, including water tenders and rescue vehicles, were rushed to the site.
Rescue operation faces challenges
Accessibility was a major challenge, Mr. Shukla said. The narrow lanes in the area prevented fire and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel from bringing heavy equipment to the site, forcing them to carry out the rescue and debris-clearance operations manually. This significantly slowed down the process.
Sahdev, one of the survivor labourers of the collapsed building in Chawri Bazar in New Delhi on November 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Sushil Kumar Verma
“The quality of construction was really poor. We came across several beams and columns, which are load-bearing elements and are normally difficult to break. Here, they could be broken with a simple crowbar. It was practically just sand. There appears to have been a serious compromise in construction quality,” he said.
Explaining the nature of the collapse, Mr. Shukla said the relatively low volume of debris was also indicative of the poor structural quality of the building.
“If the construction quality is good, the rubble pile is generally higher because the ground structure provides resistance and does not break easily. In this case, the rubble pile was relatively low,” he said.
Reaching the lowest level of the collapsed structure was expected to take considerable time, he added. “Identifying the gaps and voids is difficult because the building is occupied on all sides. We have to proceed carefully.”
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP and AAP blaming each other.
Civic officials suspended
Hours after the collapse, the MCD suspended Aman Dalal, Junior Engineer, Building Department, and Mohd. Naeem, Assistant Engineer (Building), in connection with the incident. The suspension order, issued by the Deputy Commissioner of the Old Delhi Zone, cited a prima facie case of dereliction of duty pending further inquiry.
“In view of the recent incident and the developments arising therefrom, and considering the prima facie case of dereliction of duty, you are hereby placed under suspension, pending further inquiry,” the order stated.
The suspensions came after the police’s communication to the MCD in June regarding the unauthorised construction at the site.
A busy market brought to a standstill
The collapse occurred on a busy morning in Chawri Bazar, a wholesale market witnessing increased footfall ahead of Deepavali. The building was located in Gali Sheesh Mahal, around 600 metres from the Chawri Bazar Metro station.
The approach to the site runs through narrow lanes lined with shops selling electrical equipment, safety gear and machinery, with some stretches barely wide enough for two people to walk alongside each other. The building itself stood deeper inside an even narrower residential lane, making it impossible for heavy rescue equipment to reach the spot.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta with Ashish Sood visiting the collapsed building site in Chawri Bazar, New Delhi, on November 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Shopkeepers arriving at their establishments between 10.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. were met with a large gathering of residents, police personnel and rescue workers.
“I reached my shop around 11 a.m. The entire area was in chaos, with people running around. There were police personnel and rescue teams everywhere,” said Surender Gupta, a shopkeeper in the area.
Although footfall in the lane reduced considerably, commercial activity in the surrounding market continued, with shopkeepers and workers transporting goods as onlookers stopped to catch a glimpse of the rescue operation. The narrow approach to the residential lane remained cordoned off.
Published – November 05, 2026 11:56 am IST
