NEW DELHI: Families in Delhi’s Jaitpur woke up on Saturday to a nightmare they will never forget. “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,” said Ranjan, whose five family members, her parents, brother, and two young children, died in the tragedy.The Delhi Police received the first PCR call at 9.13am, reporting in Hindi, “Badi deewar gir gayi hai” (a big wall has fallen).
Heavy overnight rain had weakened a wall near Mohan Baba Mandir in the low-lying neighbourhood. Around 9am, it came crashing down on the jhuggis beside it, trapping eight people inside. Locals said the victims included two children, a woman, and several men, many of them migrant workers from West Bengal. “It fell on eight people, among them were two children, a woman, and several men. All were rushed to the hospital in serious condition,” a resident said.Moina, a young girl from the area, said her father, a garbage collector, was among those pulled from the rubble. “I was sleeping when it happened. I didn’t see anything,” PTI quoted her saying.Police have launched an investigation into the incident, with the exact cause of the wall collapse still unclear. Officials suspect that waterlogging and soil weakening from the night’s heavy rain may have contributed to the tragedy.“We will look into the structural condition of the wall, ownership, and any negligence involved. Statements of witnesses and survivors will be recorded,” PTI quoted the officer saying.The sole survivor, 27-year-old Hasibul, remains under treatment.
