Delhi Police have arrested three contractors in connection with the collapse of an under-construction building in Chawri Bazar's Gali Sheesh Mahal in Old Delhi, which claimed two lives on Thursday, November 5. The arrested men — Siraj, Tajuddin and Furkan — are from Village Sirohi in Faridabad district, police said.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

According to police, the three were arrested in the case registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers culpable homicide not amounting to murder, in connection with the collapse.

Source: ANI via Khelja

On the rescue front, five people are feared to still be trapped in the basement of the collapsed building, while four people have been rescued so far, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manoj Kumar said. About 30 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are engaged in the operation.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Explaining the suspected cause, Kumar said the structure had been built on a small plot and it appears the centring — the temporary supports — was removed while the concrete was still wet, which led to the collapse, and the wet debris has since set in the basement. Rescue work is being hampered by the location: the building stands at the end of a dead-end lane barely three feet wide, which motorised vehicles, rescue trucks and heavy earthmoving machinery cannot enter.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

The building collapsed at around 10:30 am on Thursday, killing two people and injuring five others, as Awaaz Punjab reported on November 5. Later that day, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site, ordered an FIR against the contractor and directed the suspension of the area's assistant engineer and junior engineer, saying the contractor overseeing the project had failed to ensure safety.

Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat

Rescue operations continued through the night with floodlights at the site. Police said the investigation into the exact cause of the collapse and the responsibility of those involved is continuing.