2 dead in Chawri Bazaar building collapse: MCD suspends assistant engineer, junior engineer over negligence; FIR ordered against contractor

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has suspended an assistant engineer and a junior engineer following the collapse of a three-storey building under construction in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazaar, which killed two people and injured four others on Thursday.Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also ordered an inquiry into the incident and directed the registration of an FIR against the contractor.The action against the MCD officials was taken after the Deputy Commissioner of the Old Delhi Zone found a prima facie case of serious negligence in the discharge of their duties.The suspended officials have been identified as Assistant Engineer (Building) Mohd Naeem and Junior Engineer (Building) Aman Dalal.In separate office orders, the Deputy Commissioner placed both officials under suspension with immediate effect, pending further inquiry.“In view of the recent incident and the developments arising therefrom, and considering the prima facie case of severe dereliction of duty, you are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending further inquiry,” the orders stated.What happened at Gali Sitara?The three-storey building under construction collapsed in Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazaar Metro station, around 9.50am on Thursday. More people were initially feared trapped under the debris, officials said.Two people were killed after being trapped under the rubble. A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) rescue team pulled out two bodies from the debris, while four injured people were taken to a hospital by local residents before the fire department teams arrived.The identities of the deceased are yet to be established, police said. Multiple teams, including personnel from the Delhi Fire Services, were deployed to carry out rescue operations.No building plan sanctioned: MCDA senior MCD official said the plot on which the three-storey building collapsed measured 50 square metres.No building plan had been sanctioned for the structure, and the civic body had not received any complaints regarding its construction.The official said the building was still under construction, although work had been stopped around 15 days before the collapse.According to officials, workers were removing the support system beneath the roof when the building collapsed.The construction material used was non-engineered and had not set properly, which may have contributed to the collapse, they said.(Wiith agency inputs)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.