Wall collapses in Delhi killing 7 people, including 2 children amid heavy rain

Seven people, including two girls, died after a wall collapsed in Hari Nagar, Jaitpur, early Saturday following heavy overnight rainfall in Delhi. The victims include three men, two women, and two girls. Eight residents were trapped under the debris initially, with only one survivor now undergoing treatment in hospital.

The collapse occurred near an old temple adjacent to makeshift shanties where scrap dealers lived. Continuous heavy rain weakened the wall structure, leading to its sudden collapse. Rescue teams from police and emergency services arrived promptly, evacuated the trapped residents, and rushed them to nearby hospitals. Despite immediate medical attention, seven succumbed to their injuries.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East), Aishwarya Sharma, stated, “There is an old temple here, and next to it are old jhuggies where scrap dealers live. The wall collapsed due to heavy rain overnight. We have now evacuated these jhuggies so that no such incident occurs in future.” Following the incident, authorities cleared the area and relocated residents from vulnerable nearby structures to prevent further casualties.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi, forecasting heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms through August 12. Rainfall began late Friday night and continued into Saturday morning, causing severe waterlogging in multiple parts of the city. Areas affected by waterlogging include Panchkuian Marg, Mathura Road, Shastri Bhawan, RK Puram, Moti Bagh, and Kidwai Nagar.

The heavy downpour disrupted vehicular traffic and daily activities across the capital. The Delhi Traffic Police issued advisories recommending commuters avoid heavily waterlogged routes such as Old GT Road, GTK Depot, Jahangirpuri, and Adarsh Nagar. Authorities also encouraged the use of Delhi Metro services to ease travel disruptions during the ongoing rainfall.