New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- "Some people were making roti, some were eating rice, and others were about to go to work when we heard the sound of the wall collapsing," recalled Ranjan, whose five family members died in the hospital. Heavy overnight rain in the national capital turned fatal on Saturday morning when a wall near Mohan Baba Mandir in Jaitpur caved in, killing seven people and injuring one. Many of the victims were migrant workers from West Bengal. Ranjan said: "There are seven or eight people in the hospital. Five are from my family - my mother, father, brother, and two children. My niece is seven, and my nephew is eight." "The rest are from nearby villages. Some worked as carpenters, others in private companies," she said.
Locals said the wall collapsed around 9 am, trapping people inside their jhuggis. "It fell on eight people, among them were two children, a woman, and several men. All were rushed to the hospital in serious condition," said a resident. Moina, a young girl, said that her father, a garbage collector, was among those pulled from the debris. "I was sleeping when it happened. I didn't see anything," she said softly. The Delhi Police said the first PCR call came in at 9:13 am. The caller had said in Hindi, "Badi deewar gir gayi hai" (a big wall has fallen). The Station House Officer of Jaitpur and his team responded swiftly, along with the fire department and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Rescue personnel broke through the collapsed structure to reach those trapped.
All the injured were taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre and Safdarjung Hospital. Despite efforts, seven people died during treatment. The only survivor, Hasibul (27), is currently undergoing treatment. Police have begun an investigation into the incident. The exact cause of the wall collapse is yet to be ascertained. However, officials pointed to the possibility of waterlogging and soil weakening due to the overnight heavy rainfall. "We will look into the structural condition of the wall, ownership, and any negligence involved. Statements of witnesses and survivors will be recorded," the officer said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.