Delhi Building Collapse: 2 Dead, MCD Suspends 2 Engineers Over Alleged Negligence; FIR Against Contractor | VIDEO

An unauthorized three story building under construction in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazaar collapsed on November 5, killing two people and injuring four. The fatal incident occurred while a concrete slab was being cast.

The collapse of a three-storey under-construction building in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazaar has brought the spotlight back on unauthorised construction and alleged lapses in building safety enforcement in the national capital. Two people were killed and several others injured after the structure came crashing down on Thursday morning, November 5, triggering a major rescue operation.

In a significant development following the incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended a Junior Engineer and an Assistant Engineer over alleged negligence. The civic body also found that no building plan had been sanctioned for the construction, raising questions about how the work was allowed to proceed.

The collapse occurred around 9.50 am in Gali Sattara, in the Sheesh Mahal area near Chawri Bazaar Metro station. The three-storey structure was still under construction when it gave way. According to Delhi Police, a concrete slab was being cast on the third floor at the time of the incident.

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दिल्ली के चावड़ी बाजार में बड़ा हादसा!

तीन मंजिला निर्माणाधीन इमारत का एक हिस्सा अचानक ढह गया। हादसे में 2 लोगों की मौत।

मौके पर दमकल विभाग और पुलिस की टीमें राहत एवं बचाव कार्य में जुटी हैं।

आखिर निर्माण कार्य में सुरक्षा मानकों की अनदेखी कब तक लोगों की जान लेती रहेगी?

#Delhi https://t.co/ETQyztL00q

— Payall Singhh (@PayallSingh13) November 5, 2026

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said labourers were working at the site when the building began collapsing. Some workers managed to move away, but others were caught in the debris. Police said three people were rescued, of whom two were declared dead at the hospital, while one injured person was reported to be out of danger.

The death toll and number of injured have been reported differently in early updates. Rescue teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and civic authorities were deployed at the site. Several people were initially feared trapped, and search operations continued.

The MCD's finding that the construction had no sanctioned building plan has raised fresh questions about how the unauthorised work continued in a densely populated part of Old Delhi. The suspension of the two engineers is an initial administrative action, while the circumstances surrounding the construction and the collapse are expected to be examined further. According to the latest report, four people were injured in addition to the two deaths.

Police have also initiated action against the building owners and the contractor. DCP Rohit Rajbir Singh said an FIR was being registered against them and that their identities had been established. He added that cracks had appeared in neighbouring buildings, prompting authorities to evacuate those structures as a precaution. The MCD was informed so that it could assess the safety of the adjoining properties.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said rescue and relief operations were being carried out on a war footing. In a post on X, she said teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, MCD, CATS and NDRF had been deployed. She added that every effort was being made to rescue those trapped and provide medical assistance to the injured.

The incident also brought back memories of previous building tragedies in the national capital. In September, a five-storey building in West Delhi's Satya Niketan collapsed, killing seven people. Earlier, the collapse of an unauthorised building in Saidulajab had claimed six lives. Investigations into previous incidents have pointed to illegal construction, ignored complaints and gaps in enforcement, keeping the effectiveness of civic inspections under scrutiny.

The Chawri Bazaar collapse has once again raised questions about whether building regulations are being adequately enforced, particularly in congested neighbourhoods where unauthorised construction and structural vulnerabilities can put residents and workers at risk. The probe will now need to establish how the construction proceeded without an approved plan and whether lapses by officials or the contractor contributed to the tragedy.