Chawri Bazaar building collapse: Death toll rises to three after another body recovered

The death toll in the building collapse in Delhi's Chawri Bazaar rose to three on Saturday after rescue teams recovered another body from the debris, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Pankaj Sharma (40), a resident of Hanuman Nagar in Bihar's Khagaria district.

"With this recovery, a total of five people have been rescued/recovered from the debris, including three deceased persons and two injured persons. Both injured persons have received medical treatment and are now stable," rescue officials said.

Rescue operations remain underway at the site as teams continue to search through the rubble for anyone who may still be trapped.

The three-storey under-construction building collapsed on Thursday morning. Officials said the Delhi Police received information about the incident at 9.50 a.m. from Gali Sitara, near Chawri Bazaar Metro Station.

A large-scale rescue operation was subsequently launched, involving the Delhi Police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Two bodies were recovered on Thursday, while an injured person was pulled out of the debris and taken to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the police said the construction work being carried out at the building was illegal and the structure was unsafe.

In the aftermath of the incident, the MCD suspended its Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE). An FIR has also been registered against the contractor.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assured that every possible effort was being made to rescue those trapped under the debris. She said an investigation was underway and strict action would be taken against those found responsible for the tragedy.

(With IANS inputs)