Chawri Bazar building collapse: Two MCD engineers suspended, FIR registered against contractor, says Delhi CM

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta on Thursday reached the site of the building collapse in Delhi's Chawri Bazar area to take stock of the situation and said that the Municipal Corporation has suspended its Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE) following the tragedy which has so far claimed two lives.

Speaking to reporters, CM Gupta said that two people have been pulled out dead so far, while one person has been rescued in an injured condition.

"The building which had a ground floor and two additional floors, was undergoing construction. The exact cause of the collapse will become clear after further investigation," she said.

She added: "The Municipal Corporation has suspended its Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE), and an FIR has been registered against the contractor who was carrying out the construction."

"The way people are ignoring their safety and security while constructing houses, this is dangerous for their own lives," the Chief Minister said while urging people to follow the safety protocols during any kind of construction work.

The Delhi CM also warned officials overseeing the construction work, saying: "Action will be taken against officials if they are found to be negligent."

Further, she said that the contractor did not care about the safety of workers despite being in charge of the construction. "That is why an FIR has been filed against him," CM Gupta added.

BJP Delhi President Harsh Malhotra, who had also reached the site, told IANS, "Such incidents occur when construction is carried out in violation of rules and proper safety arrangements are not made. The officials responsible must also be held accountable."

Reiterating that MCD's AE and JE have been suspended, and an FIR has been registered against the contractor, he said: "FIR should be lodged against the responsible officials as well."

Emphasising that the construction was illegal, Malhotra said: "The building is bound to fall if additional floors are illegally constructed."

Mayor Pravesh Wahi added: "The officials have been suspended with immediate effect, and an investigation is underway. A team has been constituted under the Municipal Commissioner, which will submit its report within three days."

Further, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood said that it is "unfortunate" that norms and rules for the development of the place, which is a heritage area, have not been framed.

"A board named the Shahjahanabad Development Board was established, but what action did it take beyond installing red stones on individual roads? Our government has activated the board and is working to formulate new laws and regulations for heritage buildings and the area," he told IANS.

Earlier, a worker rescued from the site said that the wooden support placed under the portion where a slab had already been cast, had started creaking.

Speaking to reporters, he said: "This was slab-casting work. We were supposed to pour the concrete and leave. How could we have known that it would collapse?...One or two wooden supports had been placed under the portion where the slab had already been cast. The wooden supports started creaking, as if they were about to give way. Seeing this, I warned everyone that the supports were collapsing and the slab could fall."

The building collapsed as the workers were trying escape from the site.

Search and rescue operation is still underway and further details are awaited.

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