New Delhi, April 19: The death toll in the Mustafabad building collapse rose to 11 on Friday as rescue efforts continued in the narrow lanes of northeast Delhi.
Police said the four-storey structure, owned by Tehsin, had collapsed on Thursday, trapping at least 22 people. Fourteen were pulled out alive and shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where four of them were declared brought dead. Seven more bodies have since been recovered from the debris.
The deceased include Tehsin (60), his son Nazeem (30), daughter-in-law Shahina (28), and their three children—Anas (6), Afreen (2), and Afan (2). The building owner’s younger daughter-in-law Chandni (23), siblings Danish (23) and Naved (17), Reshma (38), and Ishaq (75) also died in the incident.
Police suspect ongoing construction work in two to three ground floor shops may have caused the collapse. “Upon reaching the location, it was found that a four-storey building belonging to Tehsin had collapsed, reportedly trapping 22 individuals,” a police officer said.
NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi described the incident as a “pancake collapse” — a deadly type where chances of survival are minimal. “Still, we hope there are lives that can be saved,” he said. Congested lanes and space constraints forced officials to clear debris slowly and limit the use of heavy machinery.
Six people, including Tehsin’s son Chand (25), were discharged after treatment. Nine remain hospitalised.
Locals said recent construction on a new shop may have triggered the collapse. “Wastewater has been seeping into walls for years. It weakened the structure,” said a resident, Salim Ali.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said the structure was around 20 years old and fully occupied.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered a probe and expressed condolences. Mustafabad MLA Mohan Singh Bisht visited the site and blamed widespread illegal construction and official negligence. “I’ve informed the LG and MCD commissioner. Action must be taken,” he said, adding that the area is filled with unsafe buildings and rampant corruption.
According to civic officials, Delhi has an estimated 35 lakh buildings across 12 municipal zones.
