📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Crime
Six dead as Old Delhi building collapses, owner arrested
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 08 Nov 2026, 08:25 AM
👁 16
A building in Old Delhi collapsed, killing six people; authorities have taken the owner into custody.
A multi‑storey residential building in the historic Old Delhi area collapsed early on Monday, leaving six people dead and several others injured. The structure, located near Chandni Chowk, gave way without warning, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
Rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Service, police and local hospitals rushed to the site, extricating victims from the rubble and transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities. The death toll, initially reported as four, rose to six as authorities identified the remaining casualties.
Delhi police have detained the building's owner on suspicion of negligence and possible violations of safety regulations. Officials said a preliminary investigation will examine whether the structure had the required clearances and whether any illegal modifications contributed to the collapse. The case is being treated as a criminal matter, with further inquiries expected to determine liability.
The municipal corporation has ordered a safety audit of similar old structures across the city to prevent a repeat of such tragedies.
The incident has reignited public debate over the enforcement of building codes in heritage zones of the capital.
Rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Service, police and local hospitals rushed to the site, extricating victims from the rubble and transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities. The death toll, initially reported as four, rose to six as authorities identified the remaining casualties.
Delhi police have detained the building's owner on suspicion of negligence and possible violations of safety regulations. Officials said a preliminary investigation will examine whether the structure had the required clearances and whether any illegal modifications contributed to the collapse. The case is being treated as a criminal matter, with further inquiries expected to determine liability.
The municipal corporation has ordered a safety audit of similar old structures across the city to prevent a repeat of such tragedies.
The incident has reignited public debate over the enforcement of building codes in heritage zones of the capital.