Seven dead, 14 injured in bldg collapse; LG, CM order inquiry

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) Seven people, including a five-year-old boy, were killed and 14 other injured when a four-storeyed under-construction building in East Delhi collapsed this morning.

Several labourers were buried under the debris of the building at Brahmpuri near New Usmanpur in the Seelampur area of East Delhi which collapsed at 0730 hrs, fire brigade officials said.

A total of seven people, including a five-year-old boy Raja, were killed while 14 others injured. Raja was residing with his father Wali Mohhammed in a house adjoining the building.

The six others who died were male labourers working at the construction site, police said.

About five to six fire service engines were still engaged in operations to rescue those trapped under the debris.

The injured, which included a one-year-old girl, had been admitted to GTB hospital.

Delhi Lt Governor Tejender Khanna ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collapse.

''The Lt Governor has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the building collapse incident in the trans Yamuna area this morning,'' a spokesperson of the LG said.

He said the LG had also appealed to the people of Delhi that they should not indulge in any illegal construction that would endanger their own lives as well as that of others.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced compensation of Rs one lakh to the next of the kin of each of the adults who died in the collapse and Rs 50,000 compensation for the kin of minors killed in the incident.

For the victims belonging to the Below Poverty Line families, however, the compensation will be Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each of the adults and Rs 75,000 for the kin of each of the children killed in the incident.

For those injured in the incident, a compensation of up to Rs 75,000 has been announced depending on the seriousness of their injuries.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh lovely, local MP Sandeep Dikshit and several MLAs, visited the Guru Teg Bahadur hospital at Dilshad Garden to meet the injured.

Ms Dikshit enquired about the health of the injured and instructed for their proper treatment in the hospital.

The Chief Minister also asked the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) concerned to institute an inquiry into all aspects of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi suspended four of its officials - DC Shahdara (N) A K Singh, Executive Engineer Sanjay Mullick, Assistant Engineer B D Sharma and Junior Engineer Pradeep Kumar.

A vigilance inquiry has been ordered to look into the reasons for the building collapse.

The Delhi police have also filed a case against the contractors of the building Alam and Kuddus for causing death and injury due to negligence.

UNI AR KD BD1950