Delhi: 7, including 2 children, die in wall collapse
What's the story
A tragic incident in Jaitpur's Hari Nagar area of southeast Delhi has left seven people dead, including two children. The victims were trapped when a wall adjoining an old temple collapsed amid heavy overnight rain on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Shabibul (30), Rabibul (30), Muttu Ali (45), Rubina (25), Dolly (25), Rukhsana (6), and Hasina (7).
Incident details
7 people died during treatment
The wall collapse incident took place early Saturday morning after heavy overnight rain. Eight people living in nearby jhuggis were trapped under the debris and rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Sadly, seven of them succumbed to their injuries during treatment while one remains critical.
Post-incident measures
Jhuggis evacuated as precautionary measure
The jhuggis have since been evacuated to prevent future incidents. Senior police officer Aishwarya Sharma said, "There is an old temple here, and next to it are old jhuggis where scrap dealers live. The wall collapsed due to heavy rain overnight." She added that the evacuation was done as a precautionary measure against similar incidents in the future.
Weather update
Red alert issued for Delhi
The incident comes as Delhi has been witnessing heavy rains since Friday night. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Saturday, warning of more rain with thunderstorms and lightning. The downpour on the day of Rakshabandhan has led to waterlogging in several areas and flooded underpasses across the city.
Traffic disruption
Rainwater enters basements, disrupts traffic
The heavy rainfall has severely disrupted traffic across the city. Areas like Panchkuian Marg, Mathura Road, Shastri Bhawan, and RK Puram have been affected by waterlogging. The downpour started around 11:00pm on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, disrupting vehicular movement and daily activities across Delhi. Authorities have advised residents of low-lying areas to stay alert as more rain is expected.