Three dead after under-construction building collapses in Delhi’s Paharganj

Three people died on Saturday after an under-construction building collapsed in Delhi’s Paharganj area amid severe dust storms and strong winds that swept across the national capital and nearby cities. The incident occurred on Ara Kansa Road, near Krishna Hotel, where the side wall of a basement under construction gave way.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot immediately, and four fire tenders were deployed. According to officials, three people were trapped in the debris and were initially rescued, but all three succumbed to their injuries.

The collapse coincided with turbulent weather conditions, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast thunderstorms and dust storms for Delhi. Gusty winds also caused damage across Noida and Ghaziabad, uprooting trees and damaging metro infrastructure. A traffic pole collapsed in Noida, and several vehicles were damaged in Connaught Place due to falling trees.

This tragedy adds to a string of recent structural failures in Delhi. Just a day earlier, a separate building collapse was reported on Arakashan Road. In April, 11 people, including children, died after a four-storey building collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad. That building was found to be unauthorised and over 20 years old.

While Saturday’s incident involved an under-construction site, questions are being raised about safety standards and the condition of buildings under development, especially during adverse weather conditions. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on whether weather played a direct role in Saturday’s collapse.