The pre-dawn silence in Delhi's Mustafabad area was shattered on Satirday when a four-story residential building collapsed around 3 a.m., killing four people and leaving several others trapped under the rubble.
"The entire structure came down like a pack of cards," said Mohammad Irfan, a local resident who lives across the street. "I heard a deafening sound and rushed outside to see a cloud of dust where the building once stood."
At the scene, rescue workers in yellow helmets form human chains passing debris hand-to-hand while others use heavy machinery to lift larger concrete slabs. The whirring of drills and shouts of rescuers punctuate the tense atmosphere as family members anxiously wait behind police barricades.
Sandeep Lamba, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police for North East District, confirmed to this reporter that 14 people have been rescued so far, but four succumbed to their injuries. "We estimate eight to ten people remain trapped inside," he said, wiping sweat from his brow as he coordinated the rescue efforts.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, Delhi Police, and a specialized dog squad are working together at the site. The rescue dogs occasionally pause, ears perked, listening for sounds of life beneath the concrete and twisted metal.
Yamini Sharma, whose brother's family lived on the third floor, waits with bloodshot eyes. "They're not answering their phones," she said, clutching a framed family photograph. "My brother, his wife, and their two children &ndash; please find them."
The building housed approximately 20-25 residents according to local authorities. Eight survivors have been transported to GTB Hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical.
Rajendra Atwal, Divisional Fire Officer at the scene, told this reporter that the fire department received the emergency call at 2:50 a.m. "When we arrived, the entire structure had already collapsed. We immediately began search and rescue operations," he said, his uniform covered in dust.
The collapse occurred just hours after sudden severe weather hit Delhi Friday night, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms lashing the capital region. However, officials have not yet determined whether weather conditions contributed to the structural failure.
This incident comes just one week after another structural collapse in the city, when the wall of an under-construction building near Madhu Vihar police station crumbled during a dust storm, killing one person and injuring two others.
As morning turned to afternoon, the rescue operation continues unabated with floodlights being set up in preparation for nightfall. Medical teams stand ready with stretchers, oxygen cylinders, and first aid kits for any survivors.
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Fire and Emergency service team carrying out rescue operation in Mustafabad

Dozens Of Rescuers Race Against Time As 10 Residents Remain Trapped In Mustafabad Rubble

Delhi Building Collapse Claims 4 Lives

Dozens Of Rescuers Race Against Time As 10 Residents Remain Trapped In Mustafabad Rubble

April 19, 2025 | 09:40 IST