New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI): In a tragic incident in north Delhi's Sehgal Colony, a woman and her teenage son lost their lives when a boundary wall, several decades old, collapsed on their makeshift shelter early Tuesday morning. Four days before, the family had reached Delhi, hoping to find employment. The mishap also injured two family members. Meera, aged 40, and her son, Ganpath, 17, were the victims, while her elder son, Dashrath, 19, and brother-in-law, Nanhe, 35, were hurt and are currently receiving medical care.
The family had set up a temporary tin shelter on a construction site in the vicinity of Raj Nivas, where they had begun working as daily wage laborers, earning Rs 500 per day, according to police and fire officials. "We came just four days ago to earn a better livelihood. Now we are returning with two bodies," Nanhe shared grimly from his hospital bed. He mentioned his brother remains in the village, unaware of the incident.
Recalling the collapse, Nanhe mentioned they had pitched their tent slightly away from the boundary wall. "It suddenly collapsed. I was outside with Dashrath, but Meera and Ganpath were inside and couldn't escape. I was in shock... I remember people pulling us out and shouting," he recounted. Emergency services received a call about the tragedy at 9.53 am, following the incident at around 9.40 am.
A Delhi Fire Services official identified and confirmed the deaths of the woman and her son, noting they were pronounced dead at Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital. Local residents speculated that continuous rainfall weakened the decades-old boundary wall, exacerbated by the removal of trees on an elevated stretch of land behind the wall for ongoing construction, which destabilized the soil.
"With the downpour, the loose earth slid and pushed against the wall, causing it to collapse," a nearby resident explained, adding that he had rushed outside upon hearing a loud crash. His elderly sister-in-law, aged 78, was luckily pulled to safety just in time as debris crashed into their compound.
Residents also criticized continuous nighttime construction activities and raised concerns regarding tree-cutting and safety issues, reporting no observed actions in response to their complaints. "There were more than 40 trees. We told them not to cut all of them, but they did not listen. Now with the soil loosened and the rain, it led to this incident," another resident commented. Emergency services reached the site after 10 am, with locals already initiating rescue efforts by then. Both Dashrath and Nanhe are reportedly on the mend, according to neighborhood residents.
Additionally, residents from an adjacent lane experienced severe waterlogging following the wall's collapse, with muddy waters and debris infiltrating their homes. "The rainwater from Sehgal Colony always flows towards our low-lying houses. Today, it came with debris and even a fallen electrical wire," one local mentioned.
The Regional Meteorological Centre documented that Delhi, notably its Safdarjung station, recorded 63.5 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 11.30 am. A 'red alert' was initially issued early morning, later revised to an 'orange alert' post-11 am.
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